Ember In Darkness
by ALittleWickedIAm
Summary: He was meant to protect her and H.Y.D.R.A.'s causes, but Alexandra foresaw the death of millions. Her choice to protect humanity has become a dangerous game. (CAUTION: Dark themes, violence, and sexual activities). SPOILERS for CIVIL WAR!
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

 _In order for light to shine so brightly, darkness must be present._

 _-Francis Bacon_

The young woman gazes into the cryo-chamber where her soldier peacefully slumbers. She knows there's a way to block the trigger in his brain, but it's how long it will take she questions. She places the palm of her hand onto the glass of the chamber and swallows the hard lump down her throat. While he is in cryo-sleep, what will she do? She feels lost without him. He had always been there when no one else was and listened when no one else did. He was her protector and armor. Whether or not it was by fate or design, she has always known he was meant for her. She will not forget her soldier and will wait for him when the time is right. The future has been written.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **DECEMBER 23, 1993  
**  
The Pierce household was quiet and lacked furniture. Cardboard boxes piled in the center of the living room where a white leather couch was placed. A four-year-old girl in a red dress colored in her princess coloring book. She laid on her stomach with her legs up kicking back and forth. She hummed to herself as she decided which crayon to use next. Security guards in black suits stood at every entrance and murmured codes into their ear pieces.

Alexander Pierce sat on the couch, reading a book with his legs crossed. He tried to ignore the happy tune his daughter hummed, but it became distracting. He lifted his eyes away from the page he tried to read and shifted them to the girl. Pierce inhaled sharply, patience lost. "Alexandra," Peirce warned his daughter.

The bronze haired girl stopped humming the moment she heard her name. The green crayon she just picked out of the box was dropped in front of her. She looked up at her father, across from her, and sheepishly bowed her head down in apology. "Sorry, daddy."

One of the security guards rushed over to Peirce and whispered something in his ear. Pierce let the side of his lips curl in satisfaction. "Bring him in," he ordered. When the security guard walked away, Pierce stood from the couch and watched his daughter continue to color in silence. "Alexandra," he demanded. When she looked up at her father, he continued. "I have a gift for you."

The little girl put down her green crayon and stood from her coloring spot. "What did you get me, daddy?"

Pierce placed his hands in his pockets and gave her a half smile. Her excitement grew, even though she had know idea what her gift was. She hoped it was a puppy or a kitten. She began to hop up and down when she saw a few men walk in. The "clicking" sound coming from her shoes echoed through the house. Her excitement and joy faltered when a tall masked man walked into the living room. His eyes and forehead were the only visible parts of his face. His dark blue eyes averted to the little girl before him. She kept her eyes on his metal arm which sent chills down her spine. She turned to look at her father. "Where is my present, daddy?"

Pierce took one of his hands out of his pocket and motioned it to the masked man. "This-," he started. "-is the Asset. You will call him by that or Soldier and he will go by no other name. He is assigned to protect you."

The little girl glanced back at the Asset's arm with curiosity, "What happened to his arm?"

Pierce took his free hand and rubbed it on the bridge of his nose. "Don't worry about his arm," he answered. He placed his hand back into his pocket. "There are people out there who want to take you away from me because daddy is a powerful man. So, be a good girl and listen to the Asset and do whatever he tells you. Do you understand?"

Noticing her father losing his patience, she decided to stop asking questions. She nodded her head like the obedient child she was. Satisfied, Pierce then ordered his daughter to go to bed.  
 **  
DECEMBER 30TH, 1993**

It had been a week since the Asset had been babysitting the four-year-old. He had been on many missions, most being almost impossible to achieve. This, however, was something he had never done before. He wanted to know what was so special about this girl, but it was not his place to ask. Orders are orders. She had forced (well, pouted until he complied) him to play "tea party" with her. Being 6'0", his body looked gigantic in comparison to the small pink chair he sat on. His shoulders were hunched and he kept his arms crossed over his chest. He stared at the little girl who sat across from him. She happily hummed to herself as she poured imaginary tea into his white tea cup. She put the pot down and leaned back in her chair. She took her cup from the table and put it to her lips. She sipped in air and gulped. She looked back up at the Asset.

"It's not polite to wear your hat at the dinner table. Maybe it's not polite to wear a mask at the table, either," the little girl innocently hinted. The Asset never replied. The girl, wondered if he understood her. "You have to take off your mask," she demanded.

He did what he was asked and laid his mask onto the pink table. The little girl looked at him in awe. He was normal. She imagined his face to be covered in scars or something gruesome, but he was a handsome man. She giggled to herself.

"What's your real name?" The girl asked him in a hushed voice.

He looked at her in surprise. He didn't have one. Or at least he thought he didn't. "I don't have one," he answered gruffly.

"I can give you a name. Let's see," she thought for a moment. "I know! You're new name will be Jeffery."

He stared at her. He felt something that he did not recognize. He felt a lump stuck in his throat and swallowed it down quickly. "I am the Asset or Soldier," he replied softly. "You will only call me by such."


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **FEBRUARY 7, 1994**

Alexandra waited impatiently for the school bell to ring. She looked out the window and squirmed in her seat when she saw the black town car pull up into the school parking lot. She could not wait to see her soldier again. Even though she had already seen him this morning, she still found herself filled with excitement. She had grown fond of the assassin, more so than her own father. Alexander Pierce had never been a loving man, even a child could see that. He never liked it when she talked too much and always felt the need to correct her grammar. The soldier, on the other hand, let the poor girl ramble to her heart's desire. In fact, he enjoyed it. It kept his mind from wandering.

The soldier waited in the car for the little girl to exit the building. When the school bell rang, he watched the other children run out to meet their parents. The driver noticed a group of girls between six and ten standing in front of the school. He clicked his tongue as he leaned into the steering wheel to get a better look. "Pretty little things, ain't ya," he grumbled to himself. When he settled back into his seat, he glanced at the rear view mirror and met with a pair of cold blue eyes. The driver scoffed at the man sitting in the back seat, "Don't give me that look. I'm not the one who spends all day with the girl." He winked at the him.

The soldier's metal arm twitched; that was not his mission.

"Soldier!" The girl called out as she opened the car door. The soldier turned to face the little girl. She sat next to him and quickly buckled her seat belt. His eyes softened when she looked up at him with joy. "I drew something for you," she announced as she dug into her princess backpack. She hurriedly took out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. He gingerly took it from her small hand and gave it a look. It looked like a sunflower. She took the time to draw him something, and for some reason it gave him a warm feeling. "Soldier?" A small voice brought him back to reality. He looked at the young girl next to him whom looked concerned. "Do you like it?"

The soldier looked back at the drawing and nodded his head slowly. He really did like it. The girl giggled in satisfaction. He looked up at the driver and caught him looking at the little girl inappropriately. The soldier clutched his metal hand tightly.

"Drive," he ordered gruffly. "Keep your eyes on the road."

Once the driver pulled into the driveway of Pierce's house, the Soldier ordered Alexandra to go inside and get herself a snack. When she did as she was told, he waited for her to enter the house before he swiftly wrapped his metal hand around the driver's throat. The driver gasped with panic. His eyes widened from the fear that suddenly overcame him.

"If I catch you even glancing at the girl, I'll put a hole through your fucking skull," the soldier warned. He didn't leave the trembling driver until he nodded his head in agreement. The soldier let go of his neck and stepped out of the car. When he entered the house, he watched the girl silently eat an apple while she colored in her coloring book. Her innocence touched his heart.

Alexander Pierce worried the Asset had become too attached to his daughter. He watch the two interact with one another through his computer screen. He had his whole house monitored for protection. His work office was dimly lit due to the lack of sunlight. He gulped down his glass of scotch before setting the glass down. A young Brock Rumlow stood behind him.

"We cannot afford to distract the Asset," Pierce began. "If things get out of hand, I will need you to make sure everything runs smoothly."

Rumlow smirked. "It'll be my pleasure, sir."  
 **  
FEBRUARY 8, 1994**

It was a typical morning. Alexandra's nanny woke her up for school, prepared breakfast and got her dressed. The soldier waited for her in the town car. She got to school safe and sound. When the girl was out of school, he waited patiently for her. She called out for him when she entered the car. She handed her soldier another picture she had drawn at school. This time is was a man wearing a brown suit and hat. He looked at the picture for a while before asking who it was.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I was just thinking about you when I drew it. He's a soldier just like you."

He shifted his eyes at the rear view mirror, making sure the driver remembered their conversation yesterday. Fortunately, he did. The driver kept his eyes on his lap. The soldier looked back at the little girl who was now buckled in her seat. He gave her a small smile and watched her big amber eyes light up in joy. The soldier faced himself forward and ordered the driver to take Alexandra home.

The drive was quiet, but not uncomfortable. At least for the happy little girl. The soldier, however, kept his eyes on the driver. All went well until they pulled up in the driveway. The driver made the mistake to assume the soldier wasn't paying attention when he let his eyes flicker to the little girl.

"Go inside," the soldier muttered.

Alexandra knew better than to ask questions. She followed his orders and got out of the car. As she walked up to her front door, she hear a loud pop. The girl jumped from the sound and ran back to her soldier. She was afraid he had been hurt and called out to him. Before she could get to him, someone grabbed her by the waist and picked her up. A group of soldiers came from the side of the house and pointed guns at him. She screamed and cried for her soldier as she watched him voluntarily go down on his knees. He slowly raised his hands up in surrender and placed them at the back of his head. He watched the tears drip down the girl's face as the other men ran up to restrain and pull him back to his feet. Then they took her soldier away.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 **MARCH 13, 1999**

The laboratory was bright and cold. Alexandra shivered in her hospital gown and tightly hugged herself. She felt as though she would freeze to death. She sat on the metal observation table while she waited for the doctor. She was the first subject to test a serum that may enhance her newly discovered ability.

Pierce analyzed her gift with curiosity to see how it worked and what her limitations were. Her visions, he called them, only came at random and through her drawings. He felt she could compromise his position and everything he worked for after a teacher from school called in with concern when she noticed a disturbing picture Alexandra created. So, he decided to try an experiment that has never been done before in order to control her gift. He called a doctor he had not spoken to in nearly a decade and the doctor agreed to come up with a serum for her.

Pierce looked down at his daughter who gave him a brave smile. This pleased him. He patted her on the back and gave her a small smile. A tall, thin man in a gray suit scurried into the laboratory. He was holding a silver case and gently set it down next to Pierce. The gentlemen greeted each other and shook hands.

"Dr. Whitehall, I would like to introduce you to my daughter," Pierce motioned his hand towards the little girl. "Alexandra."

The doctor adjusted his thick rimmed, round glasses as he took a look at the girl. He smiled and stared into her amber eyes. "What a beauty," he replied in a thick German accent. "My name is Dr. Whitehall, it is a pleasure to meet you. Are you ready for your first injection?"

The girl nodded her head slowly and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

" _Fabelhaft_!" He clapped his hands together. He dug into his jacket pocket and took out a small flashlight. He put a finger up to the girl's eye level and turned on the flashlight. "Follow my finger." She followed his finger as he instructed. Pleased with the results, he moved on to check her vitals. When everything seemed normal, the doctor opened the case and took out a vial and a large syringe. "Everything looks superb. We will begin the process immediately."

"Excellent," Pierce replied. "Call me when everything is finished." Without looking back at his daughter, he left the laboratory.

Alexandra watched her father leave. The anxiety began to build when she realized she would have to go through this alone. She looked down at the table she sat on and noticed the black straps that were connected to it.

"It's just a precaution," she heard the doctor say.

She looked up at him. She watched him fill the syringe with a clear liquid that came from the vial. "Precaution?" She asked.

Dr. Whitehall noticed the fear in the child's eyes when he glanced at her. "Don't worry. It's to make sure you don't move when I inject you with the needle," he said as he put down the vial. He pushed down the end of the syringe to eject some of the liquid out. He looked back at the girl with a kind smile and instructed her to lie down on her back. When she complied, he strapped her down tightly. He wrapped a tourniquet around her upper arm and picked up the syringe.

Her heart pounded violently against her chest and her stomach churned. She took deep long breaths when she felt the pinch from the needle that poked through her skin. She winced from the subtle pain and her breathing quickened. As the doctor slowly injected the serum into the girl's arm, she felt a slight burning sensation. She suddenly didn't feel so cold anymore. She felt herself begin to sweat as the burn spread through her body. She felt her blood boil inside of her and she screamed in agony. Her temples began to throb from the pain. Her body shook as she screamed and cried. Her vision blurred then everything went black.

 **JUNE 1, 2002**

"It has been three years," Pierce said, disgruntled. "How long is this process supposed to take?" He hovered over the phone in his office.

"I find it interesting the serum has had no affect on her yet," the doctor replied from the speaker. "Perhaps a stronger dosage would suffice."

Pierce sighed. He thought about it for a moment. "Alright, I'll agree to it."

"Excellent," the doctor sounded pleased. "We will keep the six month period in between injections as usual."

Brock Rumlow walked into Pierce's office with a look of urgency. Alexander Thanked the doctor before hanging up. He picked up is glass of scotch and took a sip. "What is it?"

"He's awake, sir," Rumlow answered.

"Good," Pierce responded before gulped down the rest of his beverage. "Get him ready for his next mission."


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 **JUNE 13, 2002  
**  
"What's your name?" Alexandra asked the man that sat across from her at the kitchen table.

The man had his arms crossed against his chest and stared at the girl. "Rumlow," he grumbled.

She took a sip from her can of diet coke. "What's your first name?"

"That's classified."

"Why is that classified?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Because I don't wanna tell ya," he sneered at her. "That's why."

The girl sat up straight in her chair. "How old are you?"

"Too old for you."

She rolled her eyes and leaned back. "You're not as fun as Phil."

"That's because Coulson has a mind of a thirteen year old girl."

"Why are you such an ass?"

Rumlow sighed and sat up from his seat. "Listen kid, I would love to play twenty questions with you, but you have a birthday party you gotta get ready for."

Alexandra scoffed. "More like an excuse for my father to throw a dinner party for his colleagues."

"Don't you get a cake or something?" He asked with a hint of irritation.

"Don't care," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Rumlow inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a second. He gave her a long hard look. "How about this," he sighed in defeat. "I will answer one question every half hour if you get your ass upstairs and put on something pretty."

Alexandra took a long gulp of her beverage. She exhaled dramatically and let out a loud belch. "Fine," she replied. "But you have to answer one question first."

Rumlow rolled his eyes and motioned for the girl to proceed.

"What's your first name?"

"Brock." He folded his arms across his chest. "Now go."

Alexandra walked up the stairs and into her bathroom.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

 **JUNE 13, 2002**

 _Later that night...  
_  
The girl looked at herself in the full sized mirror. She made sure every strand of her long wavy hair was in place as she tied it up in a loose ponytail with a black ribbon. She smoothed out the creases on her white dress. The top was short sleeved and had a modest cut around the neckline. The skirt of the dress flared out like a tea cup and ended at her knees. When everything was up to her standards, Alexandra exited her room and walked down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she found Rumlow sitting on the couch flipping through magazine. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 4:37 pm. The girl smiled to herself and slowly walked up to the man and cleared her throat.

Rumlow averted his eyes from the magazine to the girl that was now standing in front of him. He looked down at the watch on his wrist and sighed. "Alright, but this is your last one."

Alexandra thought for a moment. "When I asked you earlier about how you joined S.H.I.E.L.D., you said my father recruited you. My father doesn't just recruit anyone personally unless the person of interest is impressive. What about you caught his attention?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What is this, kid? An interrogation?" He watched her bite her bottom lip. A light bulb flickered in his head. "You're seriously interrogating me?"

"Profiling, actually," she corrected.

Rumlow was shocked. This kid was going to be more of a handful than he originally thought. "Where the hell did you get that from?"

"Phil taught me," she replied.

"Coulson taught you how to profile people?" He was amused.

"Stop stalling and answer the damn question," she said, annoyed. "We had a deal."

He scoffed at her. "I was the best in my self-defense class when I was around seventeen, so my teacher had me help instruct his class," he answered her. He stood up from his seat and towered over her. "Will you stop asking fucking questions already?"

She grinned at him, "That's all I need. Thank you."

A few guests arrived before Alexander Pierce came home from his meeting. Alexandra took it upon herself to entertain her guests for the time being. She greeted every person who entered her home and forced herself to engage in conversation. She didn't even know most of her guests but pretended to remember them and their first meeting. She tried her best to keep a smile on her face and to remain polite, just like her father expected. When everyone seemed convinced by her acting skills, Alexandra took her cue to excuse herself and hid in the kitchen with the servers and cooks.

She always felt out of place with the successful and the rich. She preferred hanging out with normal people, or what she considered normal. She played cards with the one of the cooks while she waited for her father to join the party. The cook was in the middle of teaching her how to play Texas Hold 'Em when a man interrupted them.

"I see you're enjoying your party."

The girl looked up at the man with a large grin on her face. "Phil!" She backed away from the kitchen counter and hugged the man tightly. "I'm so glad you came."

Coulson hugged the young girl back, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." He let go of her and backed away to take a look at her. "I still can't believe you're thirteen years old. Time has been creeping up on me."

"Do you really have to leave tomorrow?" She asked sadly.

"I do, but I got you a gift to make up for it," he said as he handed her a small box.

She smiled widely at him and immediately opened the box and pulled out a Charleston Chew candy bar. She looked up at him in confusion.

"It's my favorite candy bar," he answered her unspoken question. "Thought you would enjoy it."

She shook her head and giggled. "I'm going to miss you."

Coulson watched her eyes water and stopped the water works before they happened. "Hey, now. No crying on your birthday." He wiped a tear that escaped her eye with his thumb. "Why don't you tell me your assessment of your new bodyguard."

She sniffed and swallowed down the tears. "Well," she began. "His name is Brock Rumlow, age thirty-three. He doesn't like to be questioned and absolutely hates me."

Coulson raised his eyebrows. "What made you come up with this conclusion?"

"His answers were short ended and his body language suggested his resentment toward me."

Coulson chuckled, "Don't take it personally. I am not sure if it's possible for Rumlow to like anyone. Let's join the party, shall we? Your father just arrived."

When dinner ended, everyone said their farewells and the hired help finished their cleaning and left. Exhausted, Alexandra walked toward the stairs to get some sleep.

"Alexandra," her father called out.

While her face was turned away from him, she rolled her eyes dramatically. Before she turned around she put a blank expression on her face. "What?" He gave her a hard look. She looked down at her feet and cleared her throat before she corrected herself. "Yes, father?" She tried her best not to sound snarky.

Pierce kept his eyes on her as he took a sip from his scotch. "There's someone I want to reintroduce you to."

"Who?"

"Come on out, now," he ordered someone from the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

AUGUST 2, 2002

" _Salut, comment allez-vous_?" A feminine voice said from the CD player. "Hello, how are you?"

" _Salut, comment allez-vous_ ," Alexandra repeated in a terrible accent.

" _C'est une belle journée_. It is a beautiful day."

" _C'est une belle journée_ ," she repeated. She sighed to herself. She felt it was pointless to teach her French. Her accent was horrible and she didn't know anyone else, other than her father, who spoke the language. She wanted to give up, but she was afraid of disappointing her father. The girl looked up at the Asset. "I think I'm done for today."

He stood against the wall next to the kitchen table where she was sitting. He said nothing and stared back at her. She stopped the CD player and stood from the chair. He quickly pushed himself away from the wall and stepped in front of her before she could walk away. He put his normal hand on her shoulder. She furrowed her eyebrows at him. He pushed down on her shoulder to make her sit back down on the chair. "No," was all he said.

Alexandra stared at the soldier. That was the first time he had spoken to her in weeks. The night of the party, she was reunited with her soldier and he didn't even recognize her. At first she was hurt and angry, but as the weeks went by she noticed a slow change in him. At first he was cold and quiet. Then, she saw something in his face she had not seen in a very long time.

"No?" She asked. "What's the point? I don't even know anyone who speaks french."

He exhaled slowly and turned the CD player back on.

Later that day...

Alexandra laid on the couch and stared at the T.V. The Asset watched her carefully as he sat on a chair next to her. He was concerned. She had not been herself that day, and she complained about stomach cramps earlier. He also noticed that she had not said a word since she finished her French lesson. She didn't looked at him once, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Soldier," she said, still not looking at him. "Could you get me some ice cream?"

He stared at her for a while before walking into the kitchen and opening the freezer. He heard the soft shuffles from her feet and a door shut. He walked away from the freezer and back into the living room to see where the girl went off to. He scanned his eyes at the front door and saw that it was still locked. She was still in the house. But, where? He turned his head to the right. The bathroom door was closed. He was about to walk away until he heard what sounded like sniffles. She was crying. Why? He wanted to know if she was hurt, so he tried to open the door. It was locked.

"Um, I'm fine! I'm okay!" The girl called out and she searched desperately for something, anything to stop the bleeding. She wished her father had prepared for this. It was her first period and she did not know what to do. She heard the bathroom doorknob rattle from the Asset trying to get in.

"Open the door," he spoke in a worried tone.

Her face blushed from the humiliation. "I said I'm fine! Please just go away!" She felt the warmth from her tears run down her face. 'God, how embarrassing,' she thought to herself. She took a wad of toilet paper and put it on her crotch. She grabbed a clean pair of underwear and quickly put it on. She turned her foot around and twisted it the wrong way. She squealed from the pain and collapsed onto the floor. She instinctively grabbed her injured ankle and began to cry harder.

When the Soldier heard Alexandra scream, he instantly ripped off the doorknob with his metal arm and barged into the bathroom. His eyes were fixated on the bloody panties that laid on the floor in front of the crying girl. She kept her head down in shame. "I started my period," she said in between her sobs. "I don't know what to do."


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

 **APRIL 27, 2007**

 _Punch. Punch. Side-kick. Front kick. Back kick. Punch. Punch_.

The young woman struggled with every punch. Her legs wobbled in between each kick. Her exhaustion got to her. She had not been sleeping for the past couple of nights, but she kept going. She had to keep going. Alexandra wanted to prove to her father she was no longer in need of a bodyguard. She was so sick of someone watching over her like she was a child.

"If you keep going, you're gonna go into cardiac arrest," a male voice spoke out from behind her. She stopped her sparring with the punching bag and turned around. Rumlow looked back at her with concern. "You alright, kid? You don't look so hot," he smirked at her and looked her up and down. "No, I'm wrong. You still look hot." Alexandra rolled her eyes and turned back to continue her sparring. Rumlow watched her breast bounce from each punch she threw. Her rear end wasn't as impressive as her top half, but her wide hips and tiny waist made up for it. He licked his lips and climbed into the ring. "You know, I could teach you a couple of moves."

"Back. Off. Grandpa." She said in between each breath. As she went to side kick the punching bag, Rumlow grabbed it and pulled it away in the opposite direction of her kick. She twirled around from the momentum and lost her footing which caused her to fall on her side. "Dude, what the fuck?" She hollered at Rumlow.

The smirk on Rumlow's face faltered and everyone in the gym stopped what they were doing to watch. Rumlow didn't seem to notice. "Like I said kid, you keep going and you're gonna kill yourself."

Alexandra stood up, full of rage. "Don't tell me what to do. You're not my father."

He stared down at her chest and licked his lips. "You seem tense Lex." She cringed at his nickname for her. "You need like a nice, long bubble bath. I can join you, if you want."

Her fist collided with his face before he had the time to react. His body wobbled a few steps back. A few guys cheered, some laughed, but most were just as surprised as Rumlow. He wiped a small amount of blood from the side of his mouth and looked up at the teenage girl who smirked at him. His jaw tightened. He said nothing, just nodded his head before he walked away.

She grabbed her water bottle from the corner of the ring and climbed her way out.

"You go, girl!" Someone called out from the crowd.

She couldn't stop the smirk escaping her lips as she walked into the women's locker room.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**  
 _  
The dark haired man ran through a glass dome bridge in a panic. He searched around him. There were snipers everywhere. He stopped at the middle of the bridge, not knowing what to do. He looked out through the glass as two military men shot something through the glass. Smoke filled the man's surroundings. He held his breath and quickly took off his light blue collared shirt. He wrapped it into a ball and put it over his mouth. Something he saw in the distance made him drop his shirt from his hand. He ran toward the glass and pressed his hands onto it. The smoke filled the glass dome and the man was swallowed by it. His heavy breathing grew deeper and faster. His sun-kissed skin and dark brown eyes began to turn into a forest green. His body grew bigger, five times his original size. The giant green monster smashed his way through the glass and onto the grass field. It gritted it's teeth before letting out a loud, bone chilling roar._  
 **  
APRIL 28, 2007 2:14 AM**

Alexandra woke herself up by the sound of her own screaming. It took her a minute to realize it was just a dream. Or was it a vision? She did not know. As she turned on the light her father burst through her bedroom door with a pistol in his hand. When he realized no one else was in the room, Pierce set his gun down onto her dresser next to the door. He watched his daughter's tears drip down her face. He sighed and stuffed his hands in the pockets on his robe. He slowly walked up to her and sat on the edge of her queen sized bed.

"Bad dream?" He asked.

She sniffed and looked up at her father. "Dad, it was so awful. This man turned into a giant monster. It was so real."

"It could be a vision. What did this man look like?"

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "He had dark brown hair and eyes," she said as she opened her eyes again.

"What was his name?"

"It-it wasn't mentioned. I'm sorry, dad," she apologized.

He looked at her for a moment before he nodded his head at her. "Okay. Get some sleep."

She watched him stand up and grab his pistol before he walked out of her room. He shut the door behind him and headed back into his room.  
 **  
APRIL 28, 2007 1:56 PM**  
 _  
Punch. Punch. Side-kick. Front kick. Back kick. Punch. Punch._

She had more energy that day. Each hit that collided onto the punching bag were powerful hits. She never felt this way before. Her breathing, on the other hand, it wasn't as steady as it should have been. She didn't care. She kept going. She was so focused on her training, she did not see Rumlow and the Asset walk in.

Rumlow walked beside the Asset and muttered something to him before climbing into the boxing ring Alexandra trained in. He stood next to her, but kept a good distance. "You've been doing the same routine for months. You need to switch things up. Learn something new." He waited for her to reply. She ignored him and continued her training. He sighed and walked over to another S.T.R.I.K.E officer. He muttered something to him and turned back to the teenage girl. All the S.T.R.I.K.E officials were ordered out of the gym. Alexandra paused from her training to watch everyone leave.

"Like I said," Rumlow began. "You need to switch things up."

She glared at him. "What are you doing?"

"You're going to be trained, properly. You can't just beat up a punching bag. You won't learn how to fight unless you're the punching bag."

Her eyes widened. "What-?"

"Soldier," Rumlow cut her off.

Her eyes followed Rumlow's and saw him. She felt so many emotions flood through her. She had not seen her Soldier since she was thirteen. She turned her head back to Rumlow.

"You're going to fight him," he said with a smirk on his face.

She gawked at him. "Wha- I-," she stuttered. "No." She creased her eyebrows together. "Have you lost your fucking mind? I can't fight him!"

"You don't have a choice," Rumlow gave the Asset a nod.

The Asset looked at the girl darkly and walked toward her. She stared into his dark blue eyes. There was something in his eyes she had never seen before. The man who stared back at her was not her soldier.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

The Asset threw the first punch which Alexandra successfully dodged. Her eyes widened with fear. Her heart pounded violently against her chest. She backed away from him, but he followed her with every step. She began to breathe heavily as she kept her eyes on each limb from his body. She had never fought anyone before. She liked to watch everyone else and take notes. This was new to her, she had no idea what she was doing.

The Asset threw another punch at her. She dodged his punch again and pulled her arm back to throw a punch at him. He swiftly grabbed the hand she was about to attack him with. His metal hand shot out, wrapping tightly around her throat before slamming her body into the ground. Pain shot through her back, and she couldn't breathe. Panicked, she kicked her legs and tried to hit the Asset as hard as she could, but nothing seemed to phase him. Then her vision began to blur.

She gasped for air and coughed from the dryness in her throat. She felt weight lift off of her as cold metal released from her throat. When her vision came back, she quickly crawled backwards to get away from the Asset and rolled out of the ring. Rumlow caught her by the upper arm before she could leave. She snapped her head at him with tear filled her eyes.

"Consider this a warning next time you decide to hit me again," he threatened through bared teeth.

When he released her arm, Alexandra ran into the women's locker room. She shut the main door and locked it. She began to hyperventilate. She rested her back against the door and slid her body down. Her hands gingerly wrapped around her sore neck.  
 **  
APRIL 30, 2007**

She tossed and turned, tossed and turned. She couldn't go back to sleep. Her heart was pumping too fast. The images in her head wouldn't go away. She tossed and turned again. She growled in frustration and sat up on her bed. It was 2:11 AM. She looked at the blue backpack she kept sitting next to her bed. She swiped it and pulled it onto her lap. She dug into it and pulled out a bottle of triazolam. She opened the bottle and poured out a few in her hand. She put all but two back into the bottle and shoved them in her mouth. She took her water bottle from the floor and chugged both the pills and the water down. She laid back down in her bed and waited for the pills to work.

She tossed and turned, tossed and turned. She still could not go back to sleep. She looked at the clock. It was 2:58 AM. She turned to the edge of her bed and grabbed the blue backpack and took out the bottle again. Then she took three pills this time in hopes it would make her fall asleep. She took another chug from her water and tried to go back to sleep.

She tossed and turned, tossed and turned. She turned to the edge of the bed, grabbed her backpack, took out the bottle of pills, poured out five. She chugged the rest of her water and tried to go to sleep.

She woke up. It was 4:02 AM. She had to pee. She slowly climbed out of bed. She felt light headed and dizzy. She could barely keep her eyes open as she walked out of her room and into the hallway bathroom. She closed the door and turned on the light. She shuffled her feet onto the tile and made her way to the toilet. When she finished, she walked up to the sink. She felt so dizzy.

The Soldier heard the teenage girl moving around upstairs for the past three hours. He wasn't too concerned until he heard a loud thump that came from the upstairs bathroom. He jolted up the stairs and burst his way into the bathroom by kicking the door open. He scurried to the girl, who was passed out on the floor. He took his normal hand and lightly tapped her face. No response. His eyes looked down at the empty pill bottle in her hand. He instantly picked up the girl and walked over to the toilet. He set her limp body down on her knees and put her face near the toilet bowl. He shoved a finger down her throat until her gag reflex took effect.

He watched her vomit into the toilet until there was nothing left. When she finished, she began to sob. He wasn't sure what to do, but his natural instinct was to put his hand on her shoulder for comfort.

Alexandra swatted his hand away. "Get away from me, you monster!" She screamed.  
 **  
TWO HOURS LATER...**

Pierce walked into the vault with a somber expression on his face. The Asset was off. Something seemed to bother him.

"Mission report," he ordered.

The Asset almost looked pitiful. "She called me," he began. "A monster."

Pierce sighed and stretched his neck. "She's a teenager. They're dramatic. One little beat down, and you're the worst person alive." He looked back at the Asset and smirked at him. "You did good, Soldier. The world thanks you. Now, get some sleep." He turned to walk away. "See you in the next couple of years," he muttered to himself as he exited out of the vault.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

 **DECEMBER 18, 2013**

A tall, muscular man with a grey t-shirt stood in front of a group of people. His tattooed arms were folded behind his back. His bald head glistened from sweat. He smiled kindly to everyone who sat before him. "They say addiction is a disease. Something that cannot be cured," he began. "But addiction is not a disease," he paused. "It's a choice. You choose to put that needle in your arm. You choose to smoke that joint. And you choose whether or not you want to live or die today. When you have a disease, you don't get to flush it down the toilet like a bag of blow. Now, you can put your 'clean chip' under your tongue and if it dissolves-," he rose a finger in the air and pointed to everyone in the crowd. "-then you can do drugs again."

Everyone clapped and stood from their seats. Everyone happily grabbed their neighbor's hand and chanted along with everyone else, "It works! You're worth it, so work it!"

"Thank you everyone!" The man exclaimed over the chatter. "Please keep coming back and come back-"

"CLEAN!" The whole room exclaimed before they packed up and left the room.

"Allie," the bald man called out. The young woman turned around as she was about the exit the room. The man smiled softly at her. "You almost forgot your 90 days chip," he said as he handed her a bright orange chip. She read the quote on the back that said, 'clean and serene for 90 days.'

She smiled as she took it from him. "Thanks." She turned around again.

"Some of us meet at Denny's after the meeting. You should join us," he offered.

She turned her head to the side and gave him an apologetic smile. "Maybe another time. I sort of have something to do. Thanks though." She didn't see the disappointed look on his face, but she didn't care. She walked down the hall and saw the man she had anticipated meeting. She walked up to the dark skinned male as he laid out some brochures and packets. "Excuse me, are you Sam Wilson?"

The man looked up and smiled at her. "Yes, ma'am. That would be me," he offered his hand for her to shake.

She took it and shook it firmly. "I'm Allie. I heard about your friend in Afghanistan. I wanted to give you my condolences. I could never imagine what it's like to lose someone you love. Anyway, I better be going." She turned around and was about to walk away until..

"Wait," he stopped her.

She smiled to herself then quickly wiped it away with a blank expression and turned back around to face him.

"You here for the meeting?" He pointed to the room he was using.

"Not that kind of meeting," she smiled. "NA."

"Oh," he chuckled awkwardly. "Do you any good?"

"Best damn treatment so far," she took out her new chip. "90 days."

He took the chip in his hand to take a look, "Congrats! You just got 255 more days until you hit a year."

"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up," she smirked. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Sam."


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

 **DECEMBER 23, 2013**

The graveyard was empty and quiet as usual. The sun was warm and there was a gentle cool breeze. Allie sat on the grass with her legs crossed and a Charleston Chew in her hand. She stared at the tombstone that read "Agent Phillip J. Coulson." She opened the candy bar and broke off a piece and shoved it into her mouth.

"I had a vision yesterday," she swallowed. "Millions of people are going to die and I have no idea who is going to cause all of this to happen." She took another piece of her candy and popped it in her mouth. "Sometimes, I really wish you were here. I feel so… helpless."

"Maybe you're not as helpless as you think," a deep voice said behind her.

The young woman turned her head around and saw it was Nick Fury. "What do you know?"

Fury walked up to the tombstone and gave it a long look. "The dream you had. Tell me about it."

"I'm sure my father told you everything," she replied as she chewed on another piece.

He adverted his eye at her, "Actually, he didn't tell me a thing about it." She swallowed and furrowed her eyebrows together. "I know, I thought it was odd too," he answered her silent question. "Which is why I really need to know."

She glared at him. "Why is it that you only come around when you want something?"

Fury bowed his head down and inhaled deeply. He didn't know how to respond to that. He looked back at the young woman, who was staring back down at the tombstone. He smiled as he read the wrapper. "That's his favorite-"

"Candy bar. Yeah," she cut him off and looked back at him. "I know."

"If you know he's still alive, then why do you still come here?"

She crumpled the wrapper in her hand as she finished the rest of her candy. "Because, I like it here. People are too indecisive, it gives me a headache. Dead people don't have to make decisions."

He raised his eyebrow at that. "Fair enough."

There was a moment of silence.

"When dad asked you to be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, why did you take his offer?" She asked, staring at him in the eye.

He gave her a long hard look before he answered her. "I wanted to keep innocent people safe, and I felt that I was the best man for the job."

"And what about now?"

He gave her a small smile, "That's why I assembled the Avengers."

She nodded her head. "What if I told you, you shouldn't trust them?"

"And why would you say that?"

She held her breath for a few seconds before she exhaled. "Last night, I saw- um - I saw so many people die. I'm not sure how. But, Rogers was there. He was on the run. He was a fugitive."

"Rogers?" Fury repeated firmly. "Captain America, Rogers?" When she nodded, his forehead creased and his eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you sure?"

"I am sure we was a fugitive. I'm not sure if he will be the one behind all of this. I'm still investigating. But, I did find something that was odd."

"What's that?"

Allie stood up from her spot, "My father left a file on his desk for me to give to Rumlow last week. And me being so clumsy, I tripped and fell on my way to the elevator and just so happened to catch a glimpse of what was inside." She smiled sweetly. "There was nothing but a flash drive."

"You couldn't possibly know what was on there," Fury replied.

"I didn't," she admitted. "Until I took a look. I'll tell you what's on that flash drive, if you answer one more question honestly."

Fury gave her a surprised look. "Okay, I'll play along."

"If you could get proof that Alexander Pierce works for H.Y.D.R.A, what would you do with it? No bullshit."

Fury stared the young woman down for a long time and gave her the most honest answer. "I'd bring him down."


	13. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

JANUARY 7, 2014

" _Merci beaucoup_! I'll see you next time in _Paris_ ," Allie exclaimed before she put down her smartphone.

"Good news from Mr. Pierre?" Renata, the household maid, asked.

The younger woman bounced excitedly. "Everything is falling into place. Tonight must be absolutely perfect. Did you call the caterers yet?"

"Yes, Ms. Allie," Renata nodded with a smile. "I also called the florist to make sure they come on time."

"Excellent," Allie smiled widely. "Now no more talking and more working. I have a few errands to run." She grabbed her black handbag and put on a pair of sunglasses. "I'll be back in two hours," She gave Renata a kiss on the cheek before she headed out the door.

Alexander Pierce stood outside of his home and shook hands with Steve Rogers. Nick Fury stood beside him with his arms behind his back. Allie watched the men talk amongst each other as she approached them.

"-good to finally meet you, Captain America," she heard her father praise. Pierce turned his head to the side and made eye contact with his daughter. "This is my daughter, Alexandra." He motioned for her to come forward with his hand.

Allie smiled at the gentlemen and stood next to her father, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain." She offered her hand for him to shake.

Steve took her small hand and shook it gently. "Ma'am," he smiled at her.

"Are you going somewhere?" Pierce asked his daughter.

"I have to stop by the office and also get my dress for tonight," she answered as she inched herself away from the men.

"What's tonight?" Steve asked.

"Allie is hosting a fundraiser for Clean Energy," Fury spoke out.

"It would have never happened without Mr. Stark's help. He got the perfect venue at The Jefferson hotel for me," she said with excitement. "Well, anyway, it was lovely to meet you, Captain."

"Actually," Pierce interjected. "I was hoping you would show Rogers around."

Allie glanced at Fury, who was smiling at her. She looked back at her father, "That's not a problem." She turned back to Steve and smiled, "You don't mind if I stop by at the office first, do you?"

"Not at all," he answered politely.

She and Steve said their goodbyes and went into the black town car that waited for them. When she settled herself in, she took out a water bottle from her purse. "So, what are you doing here in D.C.?" She opened the bottle and took a sip.

Steve sat next to her and buckled his seat belt. "I just wanted to see the place, never been in town before."

'That's the first lie,' she thought to herself. "I see, well, you will love it here. Everyone is nice enough and the grass is always green," she stated. "Of course, you should visit the Lincoln Memorial sometime. It's beautiful."

He nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

When she reached her first destination, she opened the door and told Steve it would only take her fifteen minutes. She walked into the building and rushed into the elevator. When she reached her floor, Allie stepped into Pierce's office. She quickly took out a flash drive and connected it into her father's laptop. She entered his password and went into his files on his desktop. She found the folder that said "Verstand Serum" and clicked on it. She dragged the folder onto the flash drive icon and waited for it to download. She kept her eyes on the door to make sure no one would walk in on her. When the the downloading was finished, she logged out of the laptop and put the flash drive in her purse. She walked out of the office. She migrated to her desk next to her father's office

Steve stood outside of the car as he waited for Allie to return. He leaned against the car with his arms crossed against his chest. Allie finally exited the building and walked up to the car.

"Sorry, I took so long. I had to use the lady's room," she said innocently as she walked to the opposite side of the car of him. "We'll pick up my dress and if we have time, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."


	14. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

"So, why are you really here?" Allie asked Steve as she took a sip from her coffee.

He sat across from her at the table outside of the cafe. He smiled tightly as he stared at his drink. "Fury has a mission for me," he answered.

She squinted at him and pursed her lips, "That's lie number two. Try again." She took another sip.

He chuckled. "Are you some sorta human lie detector?"

She rolled her eyes. "Cut the shit and answer the question."

The was an awkward silence before he answered her, "I really am on a mission. But, it wasn't Fury that requested it of me."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Now, we are getting somewhere. Who was it?"

Steve sighed and took a long sip of his coffee. "Your father."

"My father?" she repeated. "What could he possibly have for you to do that Rumlow can't accomplish on his own?"

"Well, he said that you needed a bodyguard-" he started.

"Oh goddamn it!" she exclaimed. When a few people turned around to see what the commotion was all about, she apologized to them for her outburst and looked back at Steve. "Sorry, nothing against you or anything, but my father promised me that I wouldn't have anymore bodyguards."

Steve grimaced, "It's just orders. Although, he did warn me about how you might react, which is why I didn't answer you truthfully."

"Alright," she sighed. "Thank you for your honesty. Now, since you're my new bodyguard, I have a few rules."  
 _  
LATER THAT NIGHT...  
_  
The room was filled with guests, flowers, drinks, and glamour. Soft jazz played in the background. Even Allie's dress was divine. It was a long maroon, strapless dress that had a diamond belt wrapped around the waistline. Her hair was up in a low bun. Everything couldn't be more perfect. She walked into the room with Steve on her arm. She greeted and introduced him to a few people. Mostly everyone was more interested in Captain America than the hostess of the fundraiser. A bald old man engrossed Steve with a conversation about World War II. She took her cue to leave the two gentlemen when she saw Tony Stark at the corner of the room and excused herself. She approached and greeted him with a handshake.

"Did I thank you for doing all of this for me yet?"

Tony took a sip of his whiskey, "You did. This is the sixth time."

She giggled.

"Is this everything you wanted, kid?" He asked.

She smiled at him, "Everything I dreamed of." She inspected more of the decor. "I must admit, you have exquisite taste. Are you sure you did all of this by yourself?"

"I did," he said. "Actually, I may have had a little help," he admitted. "But just a little."

"Ah, Mr. Stark," Pierce announced as he approached his daughter and Tony. He grabbed Tony's hand and gave it a firm shake. "It's good to finally meet you."

'You say that to everyone,' Allie thought to herself.

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary," Tony replied. "You have a very determined daughter."

"Yes, thank you," Pierce smiled tightly. "You know, since you are here, I was hoping you would take a moment to talk business."

"I would love to, but I'm only here for a quick stop by," Tony replied with a fake smile and turned to Allie. "It was a pleasure working with you, my dear.I hope to see you again in the future," he grabbed her hand gently and gave it a kiss.

It was a bright sunny day. There were sirens blaring all through the city. She was running. Someone was chasing her. She looked up at the sky to see someone flying over her. She ran faster until she saw her soldier on the ground, surrounded by military men and Captain America was by his side. They held their hands up in surrender.

"Congratulations Cap, you're now a criminal," someone said.

"-alright? Hello?" Tony's voice grew louder.

"I'm sorry, what?" she snapped back to reality.

"You alright?" Pierce asked his daughter.

"Oh," she laughed lightly. "I'm so sorry. I was reciting my speech in my head. I didn't mean to be rude; I am not used to speaking in public. I really want to make sure I got it down."

Tony gave the young woman an odd look, but let it go. He said his goodbyes before he left the party.

Pierce moved closer to his daughter. "You had a vision," he observed. "What was it about?"

Allie chewed on her bottom lip, "It was nothing." Pierce looked at her suspiciously. She sighed, "I'll tell you later. Now, go enjoy yourself and drink!"


	15. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

 **JANUARY 8, 2014**

Allie sat across from Nick Fury in his office. "That has never happened to me before," she admitted to him. "My visions are based off of decisions. This time, it happened by a simple touch."

"You're powers are expanding," Fury noted. "I'm sorry, I can't help you when it comes to something like this."

"It's okay," she bowed her head down in defeat. "No one can."

Fury sighed and tapped his fingers on his desk. "I may have an idea of how to get that evidence we've been trying to get," he said as he stood from his desk. He picked up a folder and offered for her to take.

"How?" she questioned. "The flash drive was destroyed."

"Look at the file."

She took it from him and opened it. It took her a while to scan through everything, but when it all became clear to her, she looked up at Fury. "You're going to hire Pirates to take over the Lemurian Star?"

He gave her a half smile, "It's the only way I can get in without suspicion." He let the information soak in before he continued. "I plan on sending Agent Romanoff and Rogers to do the job. Rogers will save the hostages on board, and Romanoff will retrieve the information."

"How do you know you can trust her?"

"I don't," he answered shortly. "But I don't have much of a choice."

She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated. She opened her eyes again. "Alright, that could work as long as no one knows what information is on that ship. What do I tell my father?"

"About the vision, you mean?" Fury asked. When she nodded her head, he answered her. "You will tell him that you had a vision of being kidnapped. That should distract him long enough for me to get everything in order."

"Excellent," she stood from her seat. "My father should be back from his meeting at any moment." She handed the file back to fury. "I'll keep in touch if any plans change."

She waited for her father at her desk. She kept glancing at the clock as she went through her emails. Junk mail. Junk mail. Junk mail. An email from Stark Industries. Now that was interesting. She opened the email and scanned through it. It was an invitation to go to a Gala in New York. Allie squealed in joy. She must have caught attention from certain people and Tony got her a place to inform more individuals about her idea on clean energy for the future. Although, it wasn't an idea, it was going to happen.

"Alexandra," her father announced as he approached her desk. "In my office."

The smiled faded from her lips. She got up from her desk and followed her father in his office.

"Shut the door behind you," he ordered. When she complied, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sat on his desk. "So," he began. "Are you going to tell me about your vision?"

"Um," she cleared her throat. "Yes. I was being kidnapped."

Pierce stared at her.

"I was mad when I learned that Steve was my new bodyguard, but now I feel that it's probably the best idea. Considering the circumstances."

Alexander nodded at his daughter, "Good. But, after what I have just learned, I don't think Rogers would be the best bodyguard for you."

She looked at him with confusion, "But he's a superhero. Who could possibly be more fit to protect me?"

He smirked at his daughter, "It's time that I show you something that is top secret. Can I trust you to keep it?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. She saw him. His deep blue eyes, his thick dark hair, and the same facial expression he always had on his face. When she opened her eyes, Allie gaped at her father. "He's coming back?"  
 _  
LATER THAT DAY..._

Pierce led his daughter down the vaults of the building they worked. The closer the got to the end, the sound of screaming got louder. Allie heard someone yelling a series of words in a language she did not speak. When they reached their destination, Allie realized who it was that was screaming. She stared at him in awe. He looked exactly the same, like he never aged.

'How is this possible?' she asked herself.

The soldier heaved with each breath he took. He stared deep into her eyes, emotionless.

" _Dobroye utro, soldat_ ," (good morning, soldier) he father said.

The soldier moved his eyes away from the young woman to her father. " _Gotovy soblyudat,_ " (Ready to comply) he grumbled deeply.


	16. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15** **  
**

"How is this possible?" She whispered to herself.

Pierce looked at his daughter. When she tore her eyes away from the Asset, her father cleared his throat. "I will explain this to you later, Now, as I was saying-"

"No," she interrupted.

Pierce glared down at her, "Go back to the car."

"No, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on? How is this even possible?"

Pierce inhaled sharply, "Alexandra. I am not going to repeat myself. Go wait for me in the car, and I will tell you everything." She glanced back at the Asset and stared deeply into his blank eyes. "Now, Alexandra," her father warned.

She waited in the car, like the obedient daughter she was supposed to be. The wait was excruciating. She wanted answers immediately. She witnessed the machine that was planted on the side of his temples, she watched him scream from pain, and he never recognized her. Sure , she has grown up significantly since the last they saw each other, but she still felt hurt.

Her father finally came back from the building and entered the town car. When he settled himself in his seat, he gave her a hard look. "Do you understand why I pulled you out of there?"

Allie crossed her arms around her stomach, "Not really."

"You were getting too emotional. The Asset is delicate. We cannot afford to lose him to your silly emotions," he scoffed at her. "Emotions; it makes you weak. If I tell you everything you want to know, then you need to remember that."

She let his words sink in before she nodded her head, "I won't let emotions get the best of me."

Pierce leaned back into his seat and let out a sigh. "Okay," he began. "All I am going to tell you, for now, is that the Asset has been around for over fifty years."

She gaped at him, "How-"

"We found him," her father interrupted. "Well, H.Y.D.R.A did."

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, "You work for H.Y.D.R.A?"

Pierce chuckled, "Oh, no. I am not a part of H.Y.D.R.A." He suddenly became serious. "I lead H.Y.D.R.A."

She stared at him. Did she just hear him correctly? "What?" She knew it sounded stupid as it came out of her mouth, but that was the only thing that she could ask him.

"When you were an infant, your mother and I were supposed to go on a cruise to Bogota for our ten year anniversary, I had to work, unexpectedly, during said cruise. You're mother insisted on going and took you with her. There was a hijacking, but Fury saved you. The whole thing was confusing. I wanted to negotiate, but Fury, he made his own decisions without consulting me. I must admit, he was impressive with his tactics, but it got me thinking. Men like him, they will comply to their own orders and moralities and put everything else on the line to prove a point."

"And what was that, exactly?" Allie quirked her eyebrow at him.

"That diplomacy is all a facade," he smirked at her. "Think about it, the world's filled with the corrupt, secret militia, and liars. If I allow that in the world, the more I lose control."

"Control?" she echoed. "You want to control the world?"

"It's a plan. A perfect plan that took years to perfect. and I have you to thank."

Allie was disgusted. How dare her father use her like a pawn to his own game of chess. She glared a her father, "I told you every vision I had, and you used it against mankind?"

"Some people aren't worth saving," he said sternly.

 _LATER THAT NIGHT..._

Allie waited until she heard her father's footsteps travel into his bedroom before she took out the flash drive from her purse. She snatched her laptop that rested on her desk and turned it on. She plugged in the flash drive and let it load. It only took a few minutes before all of the information she need was retrieved. The files opened automatically onto her screen. the first thing that popped up was 'Super-human Serum'.

'Superhuman Serum was originally designed to create a super soldier, perfected by Professor Reinstein. Attempted and perfected by Arnim Zola. Successful experiment, Winter Soldier (AKA H.Y.D.R.A Asset). Subject contains the following: Superhuman Strength, Enhanced Speed, Enhanced Stamina, Enhanced Durability, Enhanced Agility, Enhanced Reflexes, and Regenerative healing Factor.'

'Verstand Serum was originally designed and not yet perfected by Dr. Whitehall. Experiment: Alexandra Pierce. Subject may contain the following: Precognitive dreaming, Lie Detection, Enhanced Thought Processing, Enhanced Muscle Memory.'

She closed her laptop quickly. All of this was too much. she just discovered that her own father had experimented on her, not knowing for sure if it would even work and it was to his own benefit.


	17. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16  
**  
 **JANUARY 9, 2014  
**  
It snowed that day. The Asset spent most of the morning watching the bronzed hair woman do her morning routines. She drank her black coffee, smoked, cooked eggs and bacon, smoked, took a shower, got dressed, smoked and began to read a book on the living room couch. He watched her every move with anticipation. He was warned that the girl was crafty and he would need to be extra cautious. But, she was so small. He could crush her within seconds if he was ordered to. For now, his mission was to protect her. He would watch her for hours until the maid came in to prepare dinner and tidy the Pierce's household. He was told to stay distant when it came to anyone other than the S.T.R.I.K.E team.

 **JANUARY 10, 2014**

The young woman proceeded with her day in silence, just like she did the day before. She quietly ate her breakfast, smoked, showered, got dressed, smoked and read her book on the living room couch until the maid came to clean the household.  
 **  
JANUARY 11, 2014**

It did not snow that day. The sun was bright and warm, and the snow from the previous night began to melt. The asset stood against the wall in the kitchen as he waited for the woman to come down the stairs. As if on cue, she walked into the kitchen in her black satin robe, with her long hair tied up in a messy bun. Her eyes were barely open as she walked toward the coffee maker. She groggily opened the cupboard and pulled out a mug before she poured coffee into it. When she set the pot down, she took the mug to her lips and took a sip. Her amber eyes lifted from her mug and met with a pair of dark blue orbs. His stare was intense. It took her a while to rip her gaze away and get her breakfast started. The Asset kept his eyes on her.

"Do you ever eat?" he heard her say.

He stared at her.

When he did not answer, Allie turned her head away from the stove and looked at him. "Food? Don't you eat food?"

He said nothing.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever."

He watched her continue to cook her meal, clean her dishes, and read on the living room couch.  
 **  
JANUARY 12, 2014**

The Asset was not there that morning, She sighed in relief as she continued to drink her coffee. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed a number. It took three rings before someone answered.

"Fury," he said on the other line.

"Hey, it's Allie," she said as she looked around the house to make sure she was completely alone.

"Is everything alright?" he asked with a hint of worry.

"Yes, yeah," she quickly answered. "Everything is fine. For now. Listen, I have something you really need to see the next time I get a chance to come back to the office."

"Why? What is it?"

"My father did experiments on me, and he admitted to me that he isn't just working for H.Y.D.R.A. He is the fucking leader," her voice escalated. "We need that proof now. When will things be set in motion?"

There was a moment of silence from the other end. "Alright," Fury sighed. "I can have the pirates come in about three months."

She closed her eyes. "No, that won't work. My father will know by then. We need it to happen in a month. If we wait any longer, we will lose."

"I will see what I can do," he said before he hung up.


	18. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

 **JANUARY 27, 2014**

It was noon and Allie was bored out of her mind. She was no longer allowed to attend her NA meetings because her father thought that if the court had requested for her to attend said meetings for ninety days, then that was all she needed. He explained that it would be a crutch to her addiction and that would make her weak. She spent most of her morning lying on the couch as she watched the snow melt from the warm sun. The Asset watched her, like he always did. There was a slight change to his demeanor since he had been with the young woman. She had noticed it, but she just brushed it off. The Asset also noticed a change in Allie's behavior. For the first week, she would ignore him and pretend he wasn't even there. Since the weeks passed, she spoke more and tried to get him to eat something. Mostly because she wanted to make sure he was human. Allie only talked to him simply because there was no one else to talk to. She missed interactions with other people.

"Soldier," Allie turned to face him. He stood on the other side of the living room with his back against the wall. His eyes met hers, and she knew that was his way of saying he was listening. "Am I allowed to go out for a walk? You know, get some fresh air?"

"No," he replied.

Allie sat up on the couch in a sitting position, "Okay. Well, then I will just do my adventures in the backyard like I always do." She sighed dramatically as she stood from the couch. She walked over to her purse to take out her cigarettes and lighter. She put a cigarette in her mouth and headed to the sliding glass door. She sat herself down on a chair. The Asset was so quiet, she did not even hear him open the sliding glass door. She jumped in her seat when she saw his shadow approach her. "Oh, Jesus!" she exclaimed. "You almost gave me a heart attack," she snickered at him as she lit her cigarette and puffed on it. "So, you decided to join me."

"It's quiet," the Asset responded.

Allie quirked an eyebrow at him. "In the house, you mean?"

He slowly nodded his head.

"Sorry, about that. Dad doesn't care for television. He says it rots the mind."

"No," the Asset said shortly. There was a moment of silence before he continued. "It's quiet... without you."

 _LATER THAT NIGHT..._

Allie and her father sat at the kitchen table while they ate in silence. Allie mostly moved her food around her plate and nibbled on her pot roast. Pierce would look up at his daughter on occasion.

"You're not eating," he noted. "It might be good for you."

Allie dropped her fork on her plate in shock. "Are you calling me fat?"

"I didn't say that," he raised an eyebrow. "I noticed you've been gaining some weight," he said nonchalantly as he took a sip of water from his glass. "Maybe some exercise would do you some good."

Allie inhaled deeply from annoyance. "You have me trapped inside this fucking house. How do you expect me to exercise?"

"I have a mission for the Asset. He will be gone for a week. Things at the office are getting a little chaotic without you around, so I think it would be best for you to come back and Rumlow will escort you to and from work."

She could go back to work. She sighed in relief. It wasn't exactly what she wanted, but it was better than nothing. She could interact with other people besides the Asset. She looked up at her father and smiled in agreement. "Alright, I have no problem with coming back to work. Can I go back to the meetings?"

"Alexandra-," he began. "We've talked about this. I am not repeating myself. End of conversation," he said sternly.

 **JANUARY 28, 2014  
**  
The office was chaotic. Everything Allie had taken the time to file properly was completely disorganized. It took her the majority of her day to refile everything in correct order. Her father's office floor was covered in beige colored files and a few random spreadsheets she found laying around. She stacked a few files by date and put them off to the side. Documents and social security information were alphabetized. She groaned from frustration as she picked up a stack of files and dropped the heavy stack onto her father's desk with a loud bang.

"Hey," a voice spoke out from behind her. Allie jumped and put a hand against her chest from being startled. It was only Rumlow. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," he smiled at her.

"Fuckin' A," she said under her breath. "What do you want?"

"I'm supposed to take you home," he replied with a smirk.

Allie sighed. "I'm going to be working a little late tonight."

Rumlow shrugged. "Fine by me. Take your time."

She rolled her eyes and continued to do her work. When she realized Rumlow had not moved from his spot in the doorway, Allie looked back at him. "Why are you still here?"

"Wow," he chuckled at her. "I thought you would be nicer since our last date."

"This isn't a date," she snapped at him. "Nor was the other time."

"Really?" he furrowed his eyebrows together as he advanced toward her. "I remember you... and me," he stared down at her, "naked in a bed."

"I recall being fucked up on half an eight ball and six shots in. I was under the influence," she crossed her arms.

He scoffed at her, "We still had a good night."

Allie decided to ignore him for the rest of the evening and continued to organize the files until she was finished.


	19. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

 **FEBRUARY 3, 2014**

It was 8:32 AM. Allie was at her desk as she went through her emails. Junk mail. Junk mail. Junk mail. That gala invitation from Tony Stark. She stared at the electronic invitation. She really wanted to go, but she doubted her father would allow her to attend. The date was on the fourth of March. She bit the bottom of her lip and turned her head to the side to look inside her father's office. Pierce was on the phone, clearly not in his best of moods. She sighed and signed out of her email account. Perhaps another time.

Allie sighed as she tapped her fingers on her desk in boredom. Ever since she re-organized every file in her father's office, she had nothing else to do. She began to think about Fury and wondered how he was doing. They had never been close, but lately she worried about him. She had not spoken to him in weeks. Suddenly, her vision began to blur.

'Here we go," she bitterly thought to herself.

 _Classic Jazz played in the background from an old school record player. Fury was slumped on a chestnut brown, leather chair. He was talking to someone, but she could not identify the words that were being said. Fury took out his cellphone and typed something on the screen. Allie tried to make out the words, but they were too blurry._

 _"Who else knows about your wife?" a masculine voice echoed from a distance._

 _She watched Fury stand from the chair and advanced to the other person in the room. "Just... my friends," he replied slowly._

 _"Is that what we are?" the other male said in the room. She turned around and saw that it was Steve Rogers._

 _"That's up to you," Fury answered._

 _One. Two. Three shots fired. She watched Fury's body collapse to the floor._

Her vision went back to normal and she realized she was still in her office. Her heart pounded against her chest. She needed to talk to Fury immediately. Allie quickly stood from her desk. She looked at her father, to make sure he wasn't paying much attention. When he turned around in his seat to face the opposite direction from her, she walked out the hallway and into the elevator. When she reached her floor, she stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall until she reached Fury's office. The door was open and Fury was reading something on his laptop. Allie knocked a few times to catch his attention. Fury looked up at her and sighed.

"Come on in," he said gruffly.

She slowly entered Fury's office and walked up to his desk. She sat herself down on a chair. "I know we aren't supposed to have much contact. Especially since you found out dad is tracking my phone calls... But, we have a serious problem," she tried to remain calm.

Fury noticed the young woman was shaking and became concerned. "What is it?"

Allie swallowed hard. "I saw you, um," she took in a deep breath. "I saw you get shot. Three times in the chest."

He exhaled and pressed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. He looked back up at her and gave her a soft look. "I'm lucky to have you on my side, Allie."

She looked up at him in surprise. "How? I feel like this is all my fault. This is becoming too dangerous."

"Yes," Fury admitted. "This is a very dangerous game. Fortunately, I have you to help not only me, but millions of others. Can you tell me when this is supposed to happen?"

"Everything was so blurry," she said in frustration. She sighed and thought about it for a moment. "Wait... You had a phone." She closed her eyes and tried to go back to that vision.

"What ar-"

"Shh!" she shushed him as she continued to concentrate.

 _Fury was slumped on the leather chair. He was holding out a phone and said something to Steve. She tried to look at Fury's phone as he held it out to Steve. The time was unfocused, but the date was clear enough for her to see._

When Allie opened her eyes, Fury was staring at her.

"February twenty-eight," she said.

"What?"

That's when it happens, the twenty-eighth." Allie stood from her seat. "I have to get back to the office."  
 **  
FEBRUARY 5, 2014**

There was no work for her to do in the office, so Allie stayed home that day. The Asset had come back from his mission a few days ago. She was oddly excited to spend the day with him. There was something about him that she could not explain. She always felt intimidated by him at first. As time went on that feeling always went away. She enjoyed his presence. He was quiet most of the time, but he didn't seem to mind her constant ranting. The Asset didn't understand what it was about this girl or why he felt that familiar connection to her. All he knew was that he felt comfortable with her and that was all that mattered.

After spending so much time together, Allie came to a realization that she had become attracted to the Asset. The first time was the day before, she bumped a glass off the counter. The Asset caught it before it touched the kitchen floor. When she thanked him and took the glass out of his hand, she stared at him in the eyes and admired how blue they were. A few features caught her attention from time to time. However, that day there was something completely different about him.

Allie and the Asset stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. She could not rip her eyes away. There was something in his eyes that would be missed by most. She saw it, though. He wasn't the mindless Soldier she once thought of him as. He was almost human.

It was like an ember in darkness; dim and faint.


	20. Chapter 19

**FEBRUARY 8, 2014 6:47 PM**

CHAPTER 19

The sound of silverware clanking against porcelain plates echoed in the kitchen. Pierce took a sip of his wine as he glanced at his daughter. He watched her pick at her food and take small nibbles from her steak. When they made eye-contact, Allie cleared her throat. She had been meaning to ask him something, but she had been too nervous.

"Dad."

"Hm," Pierce replied as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"I - uh- Tony Stark sent me an invitation to his Gala next month," she started.

Pierce took the napkin from his lap and wiped his mouth with it.

"I really want to go, but I want to go alone. No bodyguards, no escorts. Just me."

"No, you're not going anywhere alone," he answered as he cut a piece of steak. "You'll go with Rumlow."

"But- Dad, please. I really don't want to go with Rumlow."

Pierce sighed. "Okay," he paused for a moment. "I'll bite. Why don't you want to go with Rumlow?"

"Because he's a pompous ass," Allie snapped.

"Alexandra."

"Well, he is! He's rude, bossy, and -" she stopped herself from saying anything more. She inhaled deeply before she continued, calmly. "It doesn't matter how I feel about him. I just need to prove to myself and everyone else that I can do this on my own. I want to be able to take care of myself, dad. I'm twenty-five for fuck's sake. I am a grown woman who still lives with her father. I need to be on my own and see the world. I've never been in a relationship-"

"That's enough," he cut her off. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hand on his lap. "I'll negotiate."

Allie perked up in her seat, filled with hope.

"I'll let you go on two conditions. One: You will learn self-defense. I know it's been a while, but I'm sure you will pick it back up in no time. And two: You have to spar with the Asset and win."

Allie raised an eyebrow at her father. "Do you really expect me to not only fight the Asset (again), but to beat him as well?"

Pierce put his napkin on his empty plate. "Yes, I do. If you can't protect yourself from the Asset, how can I expect you to be able to protect yourself from someone or something stronger, faster, or smarter."

She thought about it. He wasn't wrong. She just didn't think it was possible for her, but it didn't hurt to try. She agreed to her father's terms.  
 **  
FEBRUARY 9, 2014**

It was her first day of her training. The Asset showed her a few basic defensive techniques and had her demonstrate them on him. She felt pathetic and weak compared to him. She would have been discouraged if it were a few years ago, but this time she thought of it as a challenge. She wanted nothing more than to kick his ass so she could be free of her father forever. The Asset was impressed by her determination and pat her on the back when their session was finished.  
 **  
FEBRUARY 14, 2014  
**  
Allie looked at herself in the full-sized mirror in the dressing room. She was wearing a pale yellow sundress that went down to her knees. She liked how the color complemented her pale skin and bronze colored hair. A sudden knock on the door startled her. Allie snapped her head to face the door.

"Did you try it on yet?" Rumlow called out, behind the door.

She glared at the door. "I am wearing it now," she answered, annoyed.

"So? You like it?" He sounded hopeful.

Of course she did, but the fact that he picked it out made her want to rebel against him. However, it was a very nice dress. She sighed. "Yes, I like it," she said dryly.

"Aren't you going to show me?" he asked, firmly.

She rolled her eyes. If she didn't let him see it on her, she would never hear the end of it. As she opened the door, she spotted Rumlow standing in front of her with his arms crossed. When he saw her a grin spread across his face.

"I like this one better than the black. It makes your tits look bigger."

She rolled her eyes as she shut the door.

Allie ended up buying the dress, despite the fact the person she hated most in the world picked it out for her. She waited at the food court in the mall for Sam Wilson to show up. In her vision, he would come around 2:00 PM. When he finally showed up, Allie got up from her seat to pick up some napkins next to him. As she grabbed a few napkins from the dispenser, she glanced at him and pretended to be surprised.

"Sam?"

When he looked up at her, it took him a while to recognize her. "Hey! How are you? Allie, right?"

"Good memory," she smiled at him. "I'm doing very well, thank you for asking. How have you been?"

"I've been just fine, thanks. I haven't seen you around the V.A. lately. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she waved her hand in the air. "I've just been super busy."

"I hear ya," he replied with a grin.

"Well, it was nice seeing you, Sam," she said as she walked back to her seat next to Rumlow.

"You too," he called out.


	21. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

 **FEBRUARY 14, 2014 5:21 PM**

After their training session was over, Allie took a shower and put on her pajamas. When she went into the kitchen, she spotted her Soldier sitting at the table. She walked over to the refrigerator and stared at the calendar that was posted on the wall next to it. It took her all day to realize that it was Valentine's Day. Written on the date of the calendar, it was Renata's night off and her father had a meeting in an hour. Allie and her Soldier were completely alone. She took out her Bluetooth speaker from the living room table, turned on the power button, and set it down on the kitchen counter. She took out her smartphone from the pocket of her p.j. shorts. As she connected her phone to the speaker, she put the songs on shuffle and began to prep her dinner.

 _I'll be seeing you_

 _In all the old familiar places_

 _That this heart of mine embraces_

 _All day and through_

Allie stopped her chopping as the voice of Billie Holiday filled the kitchen. She looked up at her Soldier. When they made eye-contact, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

 _In that small cafe_

 _The park across the way_

 _The children's carousel_

 _The chestnut trees, the wishing well_

She put the knife down and walked over to him. This was her favorite song and she never had to chance to dance to it. It was the perfect opportunity. So, why not with her Soldier? She was nervous to ask him, but the impulse was too strong for her to ignore.

 _I'll be seeing you_

 _In every lovely summer's day_

When she approached him, Allie offered her hand out for him to take. He furrowed his eyebrows together.

 _In everything that's light and gay_

 _I'll always think of you that way_

"Dance with me?" she practically begged.

 _I'll find you in the morning sun_

 _And when the night is new_

 _I'll be looking at the moon_

 _But I'll be seeing you_

To her surprise, her Soldier stood from his seat. She bit her bottom lip and gingerly wrapped her hand around his. He blankly stared down at her as she lightly pressed her body against his. He took his metal arm and rested it on the small of her back. Then she took her right hand and rested it on his shoulder blade. They kept their other hand wrapped around each other's as they slowly danced together.

 _I'll be seeing you_

 _In every lovely summer's day_

 _In everything that's light and gay_

 _I'll always think of you that way_

 _I'll find you in the morning sun_

 _And when the night is new_

 _I'll be looking at the moon_

 _But I'll be seeing you_


	22. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21**

 **FEBRUARY 21, 2014**

The Asset pointed a 45 semi-automatic gun at Allie. The dark look in his eyes caused her to hesitate. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as she took in a long deep breath. As she grabbed the barrel of the gun, she moved her body away from the barrel. She took her free hand to grab the Asset's wrist that held the gun, but he quickly grabbed her free hand with his metal arm and twisted it. Allie squealed from the sharp pain and felt her arm was about to snap. The Asset let go of her wrist instantly and put the gun to her temple. Click.

"Dammit," she muttered to herself as she rubbed her sore wrist. She'd done this a million times, it seemed. She knew exactly what do to and how to disarm him, but he was faster than her. She was drenched sweat, breathing heavily. Hairs that fell loose from her braid stuck to her moist face. "Again," she said shortly.

The Asset rolled his shoulders back and stared down at her. "No."

"No?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

He slowly nodded his head. "You need to rest. Or you will go into cardiac arrest," he warned.

Allie stomped her foot in aggravation. "No way am I stopping now! You've killed me every time. I have to get this shit right."

He slowly advanced toward her, "We'll continue tomorrow morning."

She flared her nostrils and straightened her back. "No, we will continue right now," she said firmly as she re-positioned herself. "Again."

The Asset sighed and turned to walk away. His orders were to train the girl to her own limitations. Her face was beet red and she could hardly stand. He felt she was finished for the rest of the evening, but her stubbornness had gotten the best of her. He had no choice but to walk away.

Frustrated, Allie ordered the Soldier to come back and continue her training. When the Asset didn't comply, she bolted at him in a fit of rage. She balled her hand into a fist and swung at the Asset. He dodged her attempted punch and spun himself around to face her. As she pulled her arm back to punch him again, her Soldier swiftly grabbed her roughly by the wrist and pressed his metal hand on her chest. He pushed her up against the wall with such force, it knocked the wind out of her. When she caught her breath, she tried to escape. When she realized that he wasn't going to release her, the anger she expressed quickly dissolved. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"You don't understand," her voiced trembled. "If I can't defend myself against you, I will never be free of my father."

The Soldier looked at her with curiosity. A moment ago, she attacked him. Then, she started crying. These emotions were something he wasn't used to. He watched a tear drip from one of her eyes and slowly stream down her cheek. He lifted his normal hand up to her cheek and wiped the tear with the back of the index finger. His metal hand dropped down to his side, and he looked deep into her eyes.

She looked back at him, almost hypnotized. She felt as though time had stopped for just a few seconds. He didn't realize how close he was to her until she quickly inched herself closer and pressed her lips against his.

Shocked by her actions, the Asset pushed her back against the wall. Allie was hurt by his rejection, but the expression he wore on his face broke her heart. He was torn. Instantly, she felt guilty.

"Did I miss out on the fun?" Rumlow asked, interrupting the tension between Allie and the Asset.

As the two turned their heads toward Rumlow, the Asset released her. Out of embarrassment and guilt, Allie quickly stumbled her way up the stairs and into her bedroom.

 **FEBRUARY 22, 2014 3:02 AM**

 _His dark blue eyes glared down at her. She was down on her knees with her hands up in the air. He pointed the gun at her, ready to pull the trigger. Her father stood behind him and glowered at her._

 _"I expected more of you. You could've been great, but the path you've chosen has gotten you here. Any last words?" Pierce sneered at her._

 _She looked up at the Asset with tears in her eyes, "I love you."_

 _"Heil H.Y.D.R.A," the Asset grumbled at her._

 _BANG._

Allie jolted from her sleep. She was hyperventilating until she realized she was physically unharmed and safe in her own bed. The door to her room burst open. The Asset stood in her doorway holding a firearm. When everything checked out, he set down the gun next to her dresser. She stared at him as he advanced toward her. It was too dark in her room to see his eyes, but she felt them on her.

"I heard you scream," he said as he towered over her bed.

She looked down as she felt her cheeks heat up. "I - uh - had a bad dream."

He said nothing and turned around to exit her room, but stopped when he heard her call out for him. He turned his head toward her. He couldn't see the expression on her face, but the sound of her voice made him think there was something wrong.

"Would you stay with me?" She asked in a hushed voice. "Just until I fall asleep."

He stared at her for a while before he sat himself down on the floor.

 **AN: I just want to thank all of you for reading/following/reviewing. You guys are the best! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you too much.**


	23. Chapter 22

**AN: Hello my loyal readers/followers! I sort of struggled with this chapter. I wrote it in three different ways, but I had a difficult time trying to decide which version I wanted. I had a few friends and co-workers read all three to see which they liked best, and everyone picked this one. I really hope I don't disappoint.. But, anywho.. Enjoy and happy reading!**

 **CHAPTER 22 FEBRUARY 22, 2014 5:45 AM**

The sun peeked it's way up the horizon which created a sliver of orange light across the dark sky and birds chirped. The sound of water rushing through pipes echoed through the house. Alexander Pierce was the first to wake. Allie was still asleep soundlessly in her bed. The Asset never moved from his spot. He only had to stay until she fell asleep, but he knew she needed him.

He spent most of the night pondering on the kiss and tried to understand the reasoning. He even tried to comprehend his own feelings about it, however, emotions were something he wasn't allowed to feel. Obeying and giving orders were all he knew. He was aware the kiss was wrong, something that would need to addressed to his handler, but he decided to keep it to himself. He feared that Pierce would keep them apart and that was something he did not want. The girl had an effect on him. The thought of never seeing her again caused his chest to tighten.

When the sound of running water stopped, the Asset stood from his spot and quietly left the room. He slowly walked down the stairs and sat himself on the couch in the living room. He dutifully waited for Pierce to come downstairs like he did every morning. Ten minutes later, Alexander's bedroom door opened and shut. He walked down the stairs, fully dressed in his suit.

"Morning, Soldier," Alex greeted as he walked into the kitchen.

The Asset didn't respond or move from his spot. He listened to the sound of cupboards opening and closing, silverware clinking together, and water splashing. He assumed Pierce was making his morning coffee. The sound of Allie's door opening caught his full attention. He began to feel slightly uncomfortable as she groggily walked across the balcony on the second floor. His eyes followed her as she slowly walked down the stairs, past him, and went straight into the kitchen. The Asset stood from the couch and followed her. He watched her open the cupboard above the coffee maker and grab a mug. She set it down on the counter before pouring the hot beverage into her cup. Alexander took out a couple of eggs and a package of bacon from the refrigerator as Allie took out two cooking pans.

"Mission report, Soldier," Pierce ordered without a glance at the Asset.

The Asset watched his handler take out a medium sized bowl from the cupboard. "Cadet progresses in her training," he answered.

"Good," Pierce smiled tightly. "I expect more progress in a week or," he turned to his daughter, "Rumlow will be your escort to the Gala."

Allie grimaced. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen," she said under breath.

Pierce pretended he didn't hear what she said. He began to crack eggs into a bowl as Allie put bacon into one of the cooking pans. When Pierce left for work, Allie and the Asset continued their training.

 **FEBRUARY 27, 2014 10:47 AM**

It was time. This was the moment she had been dreading. This was the moment where her life changed, and she knew it then. Her heart thudded against her chest and something heavy sank to the bottom of her stomach. Her hands shook in front of her as she cupped the warm water. She splashed it on her face as she hovered over the bathroom sink. Sure, she has lied many times to her father, but never to work against him. She saw her fate last week and she knew it was inevitable. She didn't exactly want to die yet, but she felt her life wasn't worth killing millions of people. Allie took in a few deep, long breaths as she looked at herself in the mirror. 'I can do this,' she tried to motivate herself. She turned off the faucet and took a paper towel from the dispenser. She patted her face until it was dry before she exited out of the bathroom. She tried her best to remain calm and hold her composure, but on the inside she wanted to scream. As she entered her father's office, Pierce lifted his head away from his laptop and glance at his daughter. Judging the expression her face, he knew there was something wrong. He looked at Allie with curiosity.

"Dad, I had a vision," she announced.

 **11:28 AM**

Steve Rogers, Nick Fury, Brock Rumlow, Alexander Pierce and his daughter huddled together in front of the S.T.R.I.K.E building.

"We have too many hostages on board, the only way is to hijack the ship back," Rogers suggested.

Allie closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them. "It'll work if you leave now."

"We can get there in six hours," Rumlow announced.

When the selected agents left, Alexander escorted his daughter back to his office. "You may have saved S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents," Pierce acknowledged as he patted his daughter on the back. "I am beginning to feel proud. I'd hate to be disappointed."

 **4:30 PM**

Allie and the Asset continued her training as usual. She still struggled to successfully disarm him, however, she thrived in everything else. When the training session was over, Allie began to prep her dinner. There was an awkward silence between them. It had been that way since the incident. As she chopped some onions, her mind began to wander. Her visions weren't always exact. In fact, they were wrong or misleading most of the time. Perhaps the vision of her death was more of a warning. The Asset watched the girl with curiosity as she set the chopping knife down and took out the thawed chicken from the sink. She was unusually slow this evening. He speculated that something was wrong, but said nothing. As she seasoned the chicken, she turned toward the Asset. He leaned his back against the wall across the kitchen with his arms crossed. There was something she needed to ask him. Once he came up with the decision, her future was set. She hoped he would make the right one. She inhaled deeply as their eyes connected.

"Soldier," she began. "If you could run away with me with no more missions, would you?"

He stared at her. 'She wants to run away?' he asked himself. He decided to take note of it in case there were any indications of her sudden absence. Although, running away with her actually didn't seem like a terrible idea, but his loyalty lies with H.Y.D.R.A. He never answered her because the truth is, he didn't know the answer himself.


	24. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23**

 **FEBRUARY 28, 2014 6:00 AM**

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

The alarm clock screamed for her to wake up. Allie groaned as she stretched out her arm and slammed her hand on the snooze button. She squinted her eyes to adjust to her dim lit room as she sat up on her bed. A yawn escaped her lips and her body involuntarily stretched. Slamming her arms down on the mattress, she let out a sigh. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into her warm blankets and sleep the day away, but that day was Nick Fury's assassination. The very thought caused her to jump out of bed and she quickly dressed herself.

As she attempted to put on a shoe, she stumbled while trying to keep her balance. She reached out for the door knob and held on for dear life to avoid from tripping and falling onto the floor. When she finally was able to put the shoe on her foot, she opened her door and walked out of her room. She was about to lose her door, but stopped when she heard her father's voice coming from the kitchen.

"-mission will be difficult -," she heard Pierce say. "-But, I feel you're the best man for the job. Fury knows too much. Make sure that Fury and the flash drive are destroyed."

Allie covered her mouth to prevent a gasp from being heard. She had a hunch that her father would have something to do with it, but to make her soldier be the one to kill Fury caught her by surprise. She took in a few deep breaths as she composed herself. The last thing she wanted was her father to be suspicious of her, at least for the time being. She straightened her back and took in one long, deep breath before shutting her bedroom door. She slowly walked across the balcony and headed down the stairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, silence from the kitchen suddenly made her stomach churn.

Pierce watched his daughter enter the kitchen as he took a sip of his beverage from his coffee cup. "Good morning, Alexandra. Nice of you to finally join us," he greeted.

"Morning, father," she forced a smile at him. "Soldier," she nodded at the Asset. She looked deep into his dark blue eyes as he stared back.

"So," Pierce spoke out, causing Allie to tear her eyes away from the soldier. "I think you should take the day off."

She looked at her father in surprise. "Seriously?"

"You've been working hard and staying clean I think you deserve a day off," her father explained.

She looked at her father with suspicion, but tried not to over think it. "Okay. Maybe a day off would do me some good." She headed over to the coffee maker and opened the cupboard above her head.

"Glad to hear. Rumlow will be here in twenty minutes," Pierce took another sip from his mug.

 **4:30 PM**

"Veo tristeza en sus ojos," (I see sadness in your eyes) Renata, Pierce's house maid, said as Allie read her book at the kitchen table.

Allie gave the maid a tight smile. "I'm not sad."

"Como es eso?" (Is that so?) She asked with concern. "Then, why are you sulking?"

"I'm not sulking," she said, defensively.

Renata gave her a look.

Allie felt as though Renata could see through her facade, but still tried her best to act as though nothing was wrong by shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Renata, you spend too much time examining me rather than the dust that piles up."

The maid laughed wholeheartedly. "You don't need to be defensive with me, mija," she said as she sat on a chair next to Allie. She took her hand to gently caress a strand of Allie's hair and pull it behind her ear. "Tell me everything."

The younger woman sighed. "I may have... a crush on someone."

"Oy!" Renata exclaimed. "You sit and sigh for what? Love?"

Allie's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, god! No! No, no, Renata. Not love. Just -um- infatuacion, nothing more!"

"Okay, but did you tell him how you feel?"

Well, if you count her trial and error to kiss the Asset as an attempt to express how she felt about him, then yes. However, she didn't think he actually liked her back. He did push her away, after all. Allie nodded her head in response.

Judging by the look Allie gave, Renata assumed it did not turn out well. She gave Allie a sympathetic look as she patted her on the hand that laid out on the table. "You are so beautiful, inside and out. Any man who cannot see that is, no man for you, Ms. Allie."


	25. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24**

 **FEBRUARY 28, 2014 8:53 PM**

Nick Fury was shot approximately forty-five minutes ago. She warned him and he had more than enough time to figure his way out it. Allie cursed him under her breath as she walked out of the elevator once she reached her floor. Her heart rapidly thudded against her chest as she entered ICU. She hated hospitals. The whole thing made her uncomfortable. The lighting, phones constantly ringing, doctors and nurses rushing down the hallways, and family members crying over the death of their loved ones. She turned her head to the side as she stared at the family. Her legs slowly stopped moving as the emotions sunk in. This image was all too familiar. She shook the painful memory out of her head and continued to walk into the waiting room.

A tall, dark haired woman paced across the room as she chewed on her nails. Allie watched the other woman squint her eyes as her dark brows scrunched together. 'She's nervous,' Allie noted to herself. When Allie met the other woman's eyes, she advanced toward her with caution.

"You must be Alexandra," she said with a sigh. "I'm Agent Hill. I'm sorry we have to meet this way."

"It's alright. What exactly happened?" Allie asked.

"He was shot three times," Hill quickly responded. "One bullet missed his heart by half an inch, another shattered his ribs on his left side and the last one punctured his lung. It collapsed just before you arrived. He is in critical condition."

She took a minute to let the agent's words sink in as she slid down in a chair near her. "He won't make it, will he?"

Hill was about to answer when Rogers walked into the room. When he saw Allie there and looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. I have more of a right to be here than you. Nick is family to me," Allie responded defensively as she shot up from her seat.

He sighed as he advanced toward her, "And I'm a friend. We all care about Fury, Allie. You don't need to be so guarded all the time."

"Sorry," she replied as she took in a deep breath. "I don't do well when it comes to this sort of thing."

Steve started as he rested the palm of his hand on her shoulder. "Why don' I get you some coffee? I owe you one."

"That's sweet of you, but I don't think caffeine is the proper antidote for my nerves," she sighed as she sat herself back down.

"I can get you some tea," Hill offered with a soft smile.

Allie looked up at the female agent, gratefully. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

 **MARCH 1, 2014**

 **1:00 AM**

Rogers and Allie stood behind the window while surgeons operated on Fury. They watched with anticipation as a red headed woman walked up from behind them.

"I came as fast as I could," the redhead said as she stood next to Rogers ad watched the surgeons do their work. She noticed another woman standing next to Rogers and gave him a grin. "You finally got a date, Rogers? Not the best place for one, but I'm still impressed."

Steve and Allie looked at each other in horror. "Oh no, we're not-" Steve began.

"Sorry for the confusion," Allie interrupted Steve's poor explanation. "I'm Alexandra Pierce. You can call me Allie. Nick is pretty much family, thus why I'm here."

"Oh," the other woman replied with raised eyebrows. "Sorry for making assumptions. I'm Natasha, by the way."

"Lovely to meet you," Allie forced a small smile as she shook the woman's hand.

Natasha flickered her eyes back at Rogers with seriousness, "Is he gonna make it?"

"I don't know," Steve answered.

Natasha looked back into the glass window. "Tell me about the shooter."

Steve sighed. "He's fast and strong. He had a metal arm."

Allie's ears perked as Steve answered. He saw her Soldier. This was not good. She held her composure and focused on listening to their conversation as she kept her eyes on Fury's unconscious body.

"Ballistics?" she heard Natasha ask.

"Three slugs. No rifling and completely untraceable," Hill replied as she walked up to the group.

"Soviet made?" Natasha wondered.

"Yeah," Hill quickly answered.

Suddenly, there was a loud high pitch beeping noise that flooded through the hallway. The group watched in shock as the doctors attempted to stabilize their patient.

"He's dropping," a doctor announced, with panic in his voice.

Allie spun herself around and her body slumped onto the ground as the commotion grew.

"-BP is dropping. Defibrillator!" A doctor shouted. "Charge to one hundred."

"Don't do this to me, Nick," Natasha muttered to herself.

"Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear!" Another doctor shouted. "Pulse?"

"No pulse," someone replied.

"Charge to two hundred, please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear! Give me epinephrine. Pulse?"

"Negative."

Something big and heavy sunk to the pit of her stomach. Fury was dead and it was her fault. She watched Steve walk away from his spot next to her and toward the opposite side of the hallway and tears escaped her eyes.

"What's the time?" A man asked.

"1:03, Doctor," a feminine voice answered.

"Time of death, 1:03 AM."


	26. Chapter 25

**AN: Thank you for those you reviewed. I really appreciate the support and love that you are enjoying the story so far. To my new followers; thank you for choosing to follow my story and I hope you continue to read and enjoy. You are all so awesome! Happy reading, lovelies!**

 **CHAPTER 25**

 **MARCH 1, 2014 7:15 AM**

"I am so sorry," Allie apologized through shuddered breaths as she stared down at Fury's lifeless body. Her bottom lip trembled as tears poured down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. She sniffled as she grabbed his hand. "I should've never gotten you into this. It's all my fault," she sobbed as she rested her head on his hand for a while. When the tears dried out, she stood from her chair and stared down at him. She slowly bent down closer to him and kissed his forehead, tenderly. She kept her hand on his and gave him one last squeeze before she turned away and exited out of the room.

Avoiding eye contact, she kept her eyes on the ground as she quickly made her way to the bathroom. Once she opened the door, she headed straight for the sink and turned on the faucet. She took in a few breaths to prevent tears.

'Focus,' she scolded herself. 'Your time to mourn is over. Focus, Al.' She needed to come up with a plan to get that flash drive.

You see, as Fury flat lined, Allie couldn't watch the doctors' attempts to bring him back to life. She turned herself away and looked out into the sky from the window in the hallway, where Steve Rogers stood. She watched him take something out of his pocket and look at it with curiosity. She instantly knew then, that Fury had given the flash drive to Rogers. She vowed that she would do whatever it took to keep that flash drive away from him, for she still didn't trust him.

There was another problem Allie had; her father planned to have her killed. She needed to run away with the flash drive, but how? If she can't defeat her Soldier in a duel, how could she win a fight against a super hero? She thought for a moment as she cupped the cold water into her hands before splashing it on her face. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head.

'How could I be so dense?' she questioned herself as she stared at her own reflection. Captain America was stronger than her physically, however, she was smarter and manipulative. She came up with the perfect plan.

Allie walked down the hallway and advanced toward Steve. He was sitting in a chair next to a window with a solemn expression. She slowly sat herself down on a chair across from his. Steve adverted his eyes at her and gave her a small smile.

"How are you holding up?" She acted concerned.

"I could be better," he answered, shortly.

She nodded her head slowly. "Same. You know Fury saved my life?"

Steve furrowed his eyebrows together, "He never mention that."

"Well-," she smiled tightly, "-Fury was always modest when it came to his own glory. When I was a baby, my mother and I were on a cruise ship. It was hijacked by pirates and Fury saved everyone on that ship. We weren't always close, but when I was a teenager, I had a lot of anger. Fury talked to my father and thought boxing would help let it out."

"Did it?"

"Yeah, sometimes. But, one day I quit and I got myself caught up with the wrong people. My father almost gave up on me, but Fury never did. No matter how loud, I screamed at him or the times I cursed him, he still stuck around and treated me like family. Point is, because of that he was the one of few I actually trusted. Do you have anyone you trust, Captain?"

He gave her a long, hard look before answering. "I've been told to not trust anyone."

Allie smirked at him, "Then don't." With that, she took her cue to stand up and walk away.

As she approached the S.T.R.I.K.E team, Rumlow turned his head to the side as he spoke to a fellow officer and spotted Allie. He smirked and winked at her, ignoring the disgusted look on her face. He mutters something in the officer's ear before making his way to Allie. She cautiously walked up to him and stopped when they were both only a few inches apart.

"Sorry 'bout all this, Lex. He was a goo-," Rumlow started.

"Don't," she hissed at him. "My name is Allie, not Lex or Lexi. Okay, and you have no right to talk about a man you had no respect for."

"Don't be that way, _Al,_ " he mocked her. Again, he ignored the way she looked at him. "You know, if I were in your situation, I would be very careful with how to treat me."

"If you were in my situation?" She repeated. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

He said nothing, only backed away from her with a smirk on his face. This was not good.

'He knows,' she thought to herself. Just when Allie tried to sum up with a new plan, her vision begun to blur.

 _There were a row of white house on a steep hill. She walked up to last one on the top of the hill and stared at the front door. She didn't know why she was there or who lived there, but deep in her gut she knew she needed to be there. She raised her hand up, pressed her finger on the doorbell and waited for someone to answer._

When Allie's vision came back, she happened to spot Rogers inconspicuously break the lock on the vending and opened the door by just a crack. He swiftly shoved the flash drive in between to bubble gums before he closed the door. He muttered something to the custodian and pointed at the lock on the machine.

'I'm impressed, Rogers,' Allie admitted as she snuck away.

She needed to find Natasha. Though she only met the woman only a few hours ago, she seemed to really care for Fury. She had profiled many people in her lifetime, but she never seemed to be wrong about people so far. Natasha was so open, while Rogers was reserved, Allie felt she could trust the redhead.

It didn't take long to find her, since the first place Allie looked was where Fury's body was. She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she approached the other woman. "Natasha?"

The redhead looked up with a sad smile, "I know. I just wanted to say goodbye one last time before they take his body."

Allie looked down at her feet and bit her bottom lip, "That's actually not why I'm here." Natasha scrunched her eyebrows as Allie continued. "Fury gave the flash drive to Rogers before he died."

There was a moment of silence before Natasha looked at her suspiciously. "Why would Fury do that?"

"Because there is something on there that needs to be exposed before it's too late. I don't really have much time, but all I can tell you is that Alexander Pierce is not that man you thought he was and he had something to do with Fury's death. I need you to get that flash drive and take it to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters as soon as you can and steer clear from any S.T.R.I.K.E agent. Please, for everyone's sake, do not let anyone touch that flash drive."


	27. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

Allie felt as though she'd been standing in front of the white house for hours. She didn't have a clue of who or what was inside, but she knew she needed to be there. The anxiety flowed through her as she lifted her hand and pressed her finger onto the doorbell. No one answered. She waited another minute before ringing the doorbell again. Her heart pounded violently against her chest. If this place was a trap, what did she have to lose? She already saw her death; it was inevitable.

She was about to give up, until a familiar male voice called out from behind the door. "Coming!" Before Allie could try to put her finger on who's voice the man's belonged to, the door opened. "Allie?"

Satisfied, Allie gave the man a grin. "We need to talk."

* * *

Sam Wilson gawked at Allie while trying to comprehend everything she just told him. "Okay - so - Let me get this straight. You have these-" he motioned his hands to his temples. "-visions?" When she nodded, he continued. "And, you were born with it, but not as intense. You're father, Alexander Pierce (World Security), experimented on you as a child to advance your gift so he could use it to his advantage and on top of that, he plans to assassinate millions of people?"

"Exactly," she replied.

"Shit, and I thought my family was messed up. But," Same furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Captain america? I mean - seriously?"

Allie sighed. "I know, it sounds crazy-"

"Because it is crazy."

"I know what I saw," she held her ground.

Sam sighed as he crossed his arms against his chest and leaned against the kitchen counter. "What exactly did you see?"

"I was running, and when I came to a stop, Rogers was standing with his hands up. Someone called him a fugitive. I mean, my visions don't always come true, but he's been acting really weird lately. He's secretive, reserved, and quiet. I don't know what to think at this point."

"Okay," Sam sighed in defeat. "Why don't we investigate a little more before we come up with conclusions?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Okay. where do you suggest we start?

 _LATER THAT NIGHT..._

 _"_ So, what's your deal, anyway?" he asked as he shoved a slice of pizza in his mouth.

"How do you mean?" she asked, taking another slice of pizza. She crossed her legs as she sunk into the couch and took a large bite.

"You know, the whole 'fuck-off' attitude," he answered, nonchalantly.

Allie widened her eyes, "I do not!"

Sam gave her a 'girl, please' look.

"Wha-? I - I-"

"You have an attitude," Sam took another bite.

He was right. Allie sighed and ripped a piece from her slice. "I'm just-" she bit back the tears. "I'm so fucking tired of feeling used. And, I put up this front - like- I'm not afraid or know what I'm doing. But, the truth is, it's extremely difficult to trust people when you already know where their future lies."

Sam took in her words as he examined her. "What about Fury?"

"What about Fury?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "You told him everything. You must have trusted him."

"You're right," Allie said, surprised. "Fury was different."

"What about me?"

She stared at him for a long time. "I don't know."

 **MARCH 2, 2014 6:45 AM**

She felt cramped as she attempted to stretch out her limbs. One arm and leg were able to do so freely, however, her other side was restricted by something soft but sturdy. Allie grumbled to herself in confusion and slowly opened her heavy eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was...

"Shit!" she exclaimed with a start. Allie realized she fell asleep on the couch last night while she and Sam did some research on Rogers. Her eyes tried to adjust to the dim lit living room as she stood from the couch. "Sam?" She called out. When there was no response, she searched the house for him. "Sam, where are the hell are you, man?"

Her last destination ended up being the kitchen after she searched the whole house. She was about to look out the windows to see if he were outside but paused in her expedition when she found a note on the counter next to the sink. It read:

 _ **Al,**_

 _ **Went out for a run. Be back by 7.**_

 ** _-Sam_**

"Shit," she muttered. "The fuck Sam? You can't protect me when you're not here- _ugh._ "

* * *

 **AN: Reviews or constructive criticism are appreciated. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and got to know Allie a little bit better!**


	28. Chapter 27

**AN: I just want to thank all of you again for reviewing/following/reading. You guys help motivate me to continue to write. Please leave any comments or constructive criticism if you feel inspired into doing so. Also, the story is close to it's end, but don't be too sad for here will be a sequel I've been working on. Anyway, I digress... Enjoy and happy reading!**

 **CHAPTER 27**

When Sam finally came back from his morning jog, he found Allie is sitting at the kitchen table while she read something on his laptop.

"Good morning, sunshine," she greeted him as she took a sip from her coffee mug.

"You made coffee?"

"I need my daily caffeine in order to function and I didn't want to wait for you," she responded and looked back down at the laptop. "By the way, you should be expecting Rogers and Agent Romanoff at any moment."

He opened the refrigerator to grab a water bottle, "Agent Romanoff?" He took a sip of water.

Before she could respond, there was an abrupt knock at the side door. The duo looked at each other before Sam opened the door. Sure enough, Steve Rogers came as expected. "Hey man," Sam managed to say.

"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low," Steve said with hope in his voice.

Sam tried to let everything sink in. Rogers and the redheaded woman looked beat up.

"Everyone we know are trying to kill us," Natasha interjected.

Sam paused for a moment before replying, "Not everyone." He stepped aside to let them in before inspecting his surroundings and closed the door.

As Steve made his way though the kitchen, he came to an immediate stop once he noticed Allie. He furrowed his eyebrows at her an opened his mouth to say something.

"Allie, wasn't expecting to see you here," Natasha spoke out from behind Steve.

Allie smirked at the irony, "Wish I could say the same."

Natasha gave her a quizzical look, "Wai-"

"I'll explain later," she answered her unasked question.

"You guys can use my bathroom to clean up," Sam offered.

"Thank you," Steve gave him a thankful nod.

 **30 minutes later...**

"How do you expect us to believe anything you say?"Steve asked Allie and gave her a stern look.

She internally flinched by the expression on his face. It reminded her of the look her father gave her whenever she got herself into trouble. "Well, believe it or not Rogers, I have never once lied to you. I may have manipulated you to do things for me, but manipulation and lying are two different things."

"You're selling yourself short, hun," Natasha warned.

Allie rolled her eyes. "Look, I misjudged your intent and I'm sorry. Okay? But, I'm not fucking around when I say that millions of people will die if we don't get our shit together. H.Y.D.R.A is rising and every super hero or anyone who has the potential will be erased."

Steve and Natasha gave each other a look before a nod. "Okay, we'll trust you, but your mission doesn't end here."

Allie grinned at him, "I was hoping you would say that."

Steve was surprised by her response and gave her a nod. "Good."

"Glad we are on the same team," she said shortly. "This morning I did some of my own personal research on H.Y.D.R.A and I have found something very interesting." She pulled up a saved tab and turned the computer screen around to face Steve.

"The helicarrier," Steve said in shock.

"Sorry, the what?" Sam asked.

"The helicarrier is an aircraft that was built by S.H.I.E.L.D's engineers," Natasha answered.

"And someone obviously helped compromise it," Allie responded.

"So, the question is: who in S.H.I.E.L.D can launch a domestic missile strike?" Natasha questioned.

"Pierce," Steve replied as he locked eyes with Allie.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Natasha leaned forward in her seat next to Allie.

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star," he noted.

Natasha looked at him with a thought, "So was Jasper Sitwell."

 **11:02 AM**

"Al, we got Sitwell to talk. Meet us at the other side of the bridge in five minutes. If the future changes, let us know," a voice spoke through the earpiece Allie had put in earlier that morning. "You got it, Cap," she replied as she took a hit off of a cigarette and sat at a cafe next to the bridge. "I'm already waiting."

As she put her cigarette out in an ashtray, Allie leaned back into her chair. She wished she had a phone to give her some sort of entertainment, but she threw her's into the trash back at the hospital. She couldn't risk the chance of her father finding her through GPS. If she were going to play this game, she needed to evaluate everything carefully.

It only took two minutes before she heard a few people yell from the crowd as a body flailed from the top o the bridge and landed on the concrete. Blood and brain matter were splattered all around the body. Sounds of car horns beeped from on top of the bridge cause everyone to stop what they were doing and take a look at the sight before them. Allie stood from her seat and walked over to the body with curiosity. As she got closer, she noticed the gold watch that rested on the tanned wrist and the expensive suit the person once wore. To her horror, it was the one person she needed alive; Jasper Sitwell.


	29. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 29**

"Oh my god," a few people muttered as they approached the smashed body of Jasper Sitwell.

"Someone call 911!" A masculine voice called out from the crowd.

Panic flowed through her as she scanned her surroundings . She needed to get out of there before someone recognized her. Allie slipped herself away from the crowd as the sound of car tires screeched and metal clashed from the bridge above them. As she headed toward a stoplight where a bus idled across from her, images flashed before her eyes. She began to perspire as the adrenaline coursed it's way through her veins.

"Hey!" She hollered as she sprinted back to the crowd. "Everyone move! Get out of here!"

Heads turned toward Allie's direction. Some knitted their eyebrows together in confusion and others looked at each other.

"All of you need to get out of the way, it's not safe here!" she exclaimed with an alarmed tone.

Before anyone could react or say anything, as the same bus, she spotted before gradually made a left turn, a body slammed into the said bus which caused it to swerve and collide with a truck. Shards of glass and metal flew in different directions from the force of the two vehicles colliding together. Fear, anxiety, and other emotions she couldn't recognize, flooded her body. For a moment, the only thing she could hear was sound of her own heartbeat and suddenly she was flat on her stomach as her numb body lay in the middle of the street. She didn't know how she got there, but at this point it didn't matter. She needed to get to safety.

She slowly pushed herself off the ground when her hearing came back. The sound of screams and sirens were faint at first and there was a hum. 'Fuck, how hard did I hit my head?' She asked herself as she stood and checked her surroundings. Her hearing gradually came back as the ambulance appeared before her. Paramedics rushed to aid injured victims and gun shots echoed close by.

* * *

The Asset was annoyed by the redheaded woman. He was sent to find Allie, and that's all he wanted. However, this woman was more of a distraction than the two other men that accompanied her. He held his post as he peered over the bridge and scanned his surroundings carefully. He made sure to pay extra attention to any shadow or movement. Then, he saw her. Only for a moment, he felt as though the world stopped spinning. Everything around her dulled and he felt as though he were stuck in a tunnel. A half a millisecond, he lowered his gun as he and Allie locked eyes. Instantly, he heard quiet gunshots from a distance and felt a bullet collide with his goggles. Instinctively, he turned his body around and leaned against the divider of the bridge. He glared into the distance as he took off his goggles.

* * *

"You don't understand," Allie tried to explain herself to the persistent paramedic. "I need to get out of here."

"But, miss-" he began in a concerned manner. "You're bleeding."

She looked at the man, confused. She realized she felt something drip down the left side of her cheek. She quickly brushed it off with her left hand and felt a warm, sticky substance on her temple. He peered down on the hand that rubbed her face and noticed a smudge of blood. Before she could gather the events that happened moments ago, she heard someone call out her name.

As Natasha approached the pale, bronze haired girl who stood next to the ambulance she stretched her arms out and grabbed her shoulders. "You need to get yourself out of here!" She exclaimed as she shook Allie with little force.

She looked past Natasha with wide eyes. The redhead turned her head around to see the winter soldier aimlessly shooting below him. Natasha pushed Allie on the other side of the ambulance and shot two guns at the winter soldier. When she ran out of bullets, Natasha hid next to Allie as the soldier shot his ammo. Natasha pushed the other woman and urged her to run forward as bullets shot at their feet.

* * *

The Asset watched the two women run away. "Ya budu zabotit'sya o ney. Nayti yego," **_(I'll take care of her. Find him.)_** the Asset muttered in Russian to the agent next to him before he jumped off the bridge and landed on a hood of a car.

As he coursed his way through the street to the two women, a police car sped it's way toward him. Before it could get close enough, he shot a rocket launcher at the car, which exploded as it continued to make it's way down the street and crashed into a parked car.

* * *

Allie felt as though her lungs would collapse from the lack of oxygen. "Fuck me. I gotta quit smoking," she panted as she rested herself behind a car.

"Stay here, while I distract him," Natasha ordered as she sprinted off.

Allie did as she was told and stayed put.

 **AN: Thank you everyone! Comments are appreciated as always. So sorry this chapter was so short, but I promise to write another ASAP!**


	30. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

There was silence. Allie stayed where Natasha left her, only being able to hear the sound of her breathing and fire roaring. She inhaled sharply when she heard Natasha's echoed through the streets. "Civilians threatened. I make an LZ, twenty-three hundred block at Virginia Avenue. Rendezvous two minutes."

There was an explosion that followed. Allie peeked behind the car to see what was going on. She saw Natasha jump onto her Soldier and attempted to choke him with some sort of wiring. He kept his hand at the level of his eyes to prevent the wire to wrap around his neck, and threw her off of him. As Natasha ran away to warn civilians to leave the scene, the Asset shot Natasha through her right shoulder. Allie stood from her hiding spot and ran up to her Soldier. He was wearing the same mask he wore the night they first met. He slowly lowered his gun and peered down at her as he stood on top of a car.

"Is this all because of me?" She questioned him as they locked eyes.

His once predatory stare softened when he saw her face. he slowly nodded his head in response.

Her eyes watered. She knew what was to come and she accepted it. So, she made her way across the street toward him. Before she got close enough to reach him, Rogers sprinted toward her Soldier with his shield in front of him. The Asset took his metal arm and punched the shield which cause it to ring similar to a church bell. When he realized his punch had no effect, the Asset pushed Steve's shield aside and kicked him in the torso. She watched Steve fly back from the force and her soldier land on his rear end on top of the car he once stood upon. The Asset shot a few rounds from his firearm, but the bullets were successfully blocked by Steve's shield. When he ran out of bullet, he rolled himself off the hood of the car and planted himself in front of Allie. He took out another gun from his side of his pants and shot at Rogers. Steve ducked down behind a car. Allie watched them continue to fight. Suddenly, Steve managed to unmask her Soldier.

Allie gazed at Steve's reaction. She felt the pain he wore on his face. "Bucky?" He managed to choke out at the Winter Soldier.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" She heard her Soldier ask in a tone that surprised her. He sounded as though he heard that name before.

 _"Bucky!" a faint, familiar voice called out in the back of his mind. Like a memory._

When he heard the sound of police sirens coming from a distance, he threw a bomb at Rogers before grabbing Allie by the arm and escaped without notice. They ran through an alleyway before her Soldier stopped in front of a dumpster and pinned her against the wall. He peered down at her with a solemn look.

"You ran away," he said gruffly.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "But, only from my father. I wasn't going to leave town without you." She looked deep into his eyes.

He knitted his eyebrows together, "Why?"

"Because-," she paused for a second as she searched for the right words. "Because I need you."

He stared at her for a while before he noticed the blood that dried on her left temple. He took his normal hand and lightly wiped away the blood. Allie seethed and flinched from the sharp pain that spread through her head.

"You're injured," he noted out loud.

"I'm- I'll be f-fine," she gulped as she tried to speak the words that she wanted to say. As she felt his chest press against hers, she felt a flutter in her chest.

The Asset sighed at her stubbornness and decided to say nothing more. He gingerly wrapped his metal arm around her waist, protectively as they continued their walk.

 **15 MINUTES LATER...**

 _A slender, short blond man stood before him. The sorrow in his eyes caused the Asset's chest to tighten._

 _"-at the end of the line, pal," he heard himself say._

 _"Sergeant Barnes," a male voice echoed._

 _Suddenly, he remembered that same voice he heard earlier, "Bucky, no!" as he fell into the snow. There was so much snow, and it was cold. He thought he would die, alone. Then, someone (or many more than one person) grabbed his limp body and drug him into shelter. He remembered doctors performing a surgery. That was how he got his arm. Yes, he remembered. He lost his arm when he fell. There was a face that appeared before him. The face that filled every inch of his soul with anger. The face of Admin Zola. His round face sneered at him as he pushed his round spectacle up on the bridge of his nose._

 _"The procedure has already started," Zola smirked."You are to be the new face of H.Y.D.R.A." The Asset remembered being locked in a box he always dreaded. "Put him on ice."_

As a doctor continued to fix the Asset's damaged metal arm, the Asset abruptly flung his arm against the doctor's chest and knocked him over.

Allie was about to calm the Asset down, but stopped when she saw her father enter the vault. Pierce glowered at her as he walked up to the Asset.

"Sir, he's... he's unstable. Erratic," a scientist spoke out as he stood in front of the entrance.

Pierce ignored the scientist and continued to make his way into the vault. Rumlow dutifully followed. Pierce stood in front of her Soldier after giving Allie a bone chilling glare. "Mission report," he ordered. Allie kept her eyes on the Asset. He looked different. There as an expression he held on his face, she never expected to from him again: pain. The very same look he gave her after she kissed him. She lump caught in her throat and she had a hard time choking it down. "Mission report, now," her father demanded, harshly. Her Soldier looked distant, unresponsive. She jumped with a start when the sound of Pierce's hand collided with her Soldier's face.

"That man on the bridge," the Asset began.

 _"Bucky?" the voice echoed._

"Who was he?" the Soldier eyed Pierce.

"You met him earlier this week on an assignment," he answered, nonchalantly.

"I knew him," He glanced up at Pierce, who took a seat in front of him.

Rumlow gave Allie a look that made her skin crawl.

Pierce tightened his jaw, "Your work has been a gift to mankind." When the Asset didn't respond, Pierce continued. "You shaped this country, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at it's tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push. But if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and H.Y.D.R.A can't give the world the freedom it deserves."

"But, I knew him," the pained expression spread across her Soldier's face again. It was excruciating to him suffer this way.

Pierce stood from his seat, patience lost. "Prep him," he ordered a scientist nearby.

"He's been out of cry-freeze too long," the Scientist warned him.

"Then wipe him and start over," Pierce said as he glared at his daughter.

Allie was then grabbed by Rumlow and dragged out of the vault and the sound of her Soldier's scream echoed in her ears. When Rumlow came to a stop, Allie was forced to face her father. "You compromised him," he accused.

"I didn't do anything, I swear," she answered, honestly.

"Take her to the house," Pierce ordered Rumlow with a hint of annoyance in his voice before he walked away.

* * *

 _Nick Fury stared at the picture of Alexander Pierce in his hand._

 _"This man denounced the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, 'Peace wasn't the an achievement but a responsibility.' See, stuff like like this that gives me trust issues," he said as he turned to look at Maria Hill, Natasha, and Steve._

Allie smiled softly to herself as she stared out into the dark sky from the car window. 'Glad you're still alive, Nick.'


	31. Chapter 30

**AN: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I am so glad everyone's enjoying the story and the very slow Romance between Allie and Bucky. I also want to thank everyone for reading/following, you guys are awesome! Anyway, before you continue to read, you are being WARNED! There is sexual content and slight violence in this chapter, so if you don't feel comfortable reading, please skip this chapter and everything will be recapped in the next chapter. If you do choose to continue on, happy reading!**

 **CHAPTER 30**

The car ride home was quiet, just how Allie wanted it to be. She didn't have enough patience to deal with Rumlow's snarky comments, especially when he thought her fate was doomed. However, She saw that Fury was still alive, which changed her future substantially. When the car finally arrived to it's destination, Allie quickly opened her door merged her way into the house.

"You should clean yourself up," Rumlow suggested as he followed her inside.

Allie turned her head around to face him and nodded her head in response. There was no time to argue and she knew she looked like shit, so she made her way up the stairs to her bathroom to wash her face. When she entered her bathroom, she stared at her own reflection. Her bronze hair was knotted and disarrayed. The left side of her face was covered in dried blood and dirt. She sighed as she tied her hair up in a messy bun before she washed her face. She ignored the stinging sensation on her temple as she brushed her hand across the wound with the warm water. When she was finished, she took a closer look at the cut on her head as she leaned closer to the mirror. The wound was small enough that it was hardly noticeable once the blood was cleaned off. She dressed her head before she exited out of the bathroom and entered her room. After she changed into her pajama pants and a tank top, she headed down the stairs to get a glass of water. On her way down, she detected a red-brown substance on the white tiled floor. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she realized exactly what it was. She snapped her head up at Rumlow's direction, whom sat at the kitchen table in the dark with his arm crossed against his chest.

"Who's blood is that?" she demanded as she pointed to the stained floor.

Rumlow shrugged his shoulders. "The maid or something. She saw the Asset. You know the protocol."

"Oh god," she gasped in shock and covered her gaped mouth with her hand. "Renata..." She felt a sting in her chest. Fury had it coming, she knew, but Renata? Her eyes watered as she glared at Rumlow. She slowly approached him at the kitchen table.

Rumlow rolled his eye. "Come one, Lex. This is the reason why you can't go on with this. You're so fucking emotional," he laughed at her. "What?" he asked innocently when he noticed her glaring at him and grinned at her as he motioned for her to take a seat next to him. She cautiously did so and watched his every move. "I saw you Allie."

She furrowed her eyebrows at him.

He chuckled. "Don't play innocent. I saw you. You and the Asset?" He laughed even harder. "I mean, seriously?"

She rolled her eyes as she stood up to leave, but Rumlow softly grabbed her by the hand. She stared down at his hand with confusion before she snatched her hand away.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he apologized as he stood up from the chair and advanced toward her. When she didn't move, he continued. "I get it. I really do, Lex." He said softly with understanding. "I know- I mean, I know how hard it is for you. There's no one to help you. No one to love you. There's no one to touch you," he said as he lifted his hand to caress her face. The moment she felt his hand brush the side of her cheek, chills ran down her spine and she saw what his intentions were that night. She smacked his hand away from her face as the ill feeling sank into the pit of her stomach. She glared at him with disgust. Rumlow rolled his eyes at her, "Really? It's not like we haven't fucked before."

"Get out," her voice wavered, but she held her composure.

Before she could react, Rumlow stretched out his arm and wrapped his large hand around the nape of her neck to pull her closer to him. She instinctively attempted to push him away by pressing her fists against his chest. When he didn't budge, her heart violently pounded against her chest. Frustrated by her resistance, he grabbed both of her wrists roughly and pushed her body against the edge of the kitchen table with his pelvis. She groaned in displeasure when she felt his erection pressing against her inner thigh. Next thing she knew, she was pinned against the table with Rumlow on top of her. His body felt like lead in comparison to her smaller frame. The moment she heard the sound of him undoing his zipper, she struggled harder. She flailed her legs and arms around as though her life depended on it.

"NO! Brock, please - please, please don't do this!" she begged as tears poured from her eyes. "Stop!"

He hit her on the cheek with the back of his hand before he aimed a gun only inches away from her face. She stared at the end of the barrel with wide eyes. 'There truly is a god,' she thought to herself.

"The Asset was supposed to be the one to do it, but when I'm finished with you, you'll be begging me to pull the trigger," Rumlow snarled.

"Not if I pull it first." Allie, then swiftly grabbed the barrel as she moved her head to the other side and managed to get a hold of the handle as she kicked Rumlow, as hard her body could muster, in the torso. His body flew off of her as his hand involuntarily lost grip of the gun. When he landed at a safe distance, Allie aimed the gun at Rumlow before he could move.

He glared at her as he caught his breath.

"Get out," she said sternly, as she sat herself up on the table, still aiming the gun at him.

"All-"

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!" she screamed at him and fired a warning shot that merely missed his temple. When he left, she slowly lowered the weapon and began to hyperventilate. Her harsh breathing began to slow and turned to sobs as she remained sitting on the table, alone.


	32. Chapter 31

**AN: Okay, so here is a treat for you. This is a long chapter, but it's more about Bucky than it is about Allie. I really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you like it. Thank you again to my readers/followers/reviewers. I appreciate the kind words and support from you all. Please let me know if you enjoyed this chapter (or even if you didn't) because this is something I have never done before. I got into Bucky's head... Anyway, happy reading!**

 **CHAPTER 31**

 **MARCH 3, 2014 6:45 AM**

 _"Protect her," a familiar voice said._

 _'Protect who?' He questioned himself as an image of a baby appeared in his arms._

 _"This is my daughter," a blond man who stood in front of him, said._

 _He stared down at the baby, uncomfortably._

 _"For now on, your life's mission is to protect her."_

 _The blond man and the baby faded as another man appeared before him. "Your life's mission is to protect H.Y.D.R.A's causes. Your life before now, no longer exists. You are the Asset or Soldier. You will not be called by any other name."_

 _"What's your name?" a little girl's voice echoed._

'Protect who?' The Asset asked himself as he sat in his seat and patiently waited for his handler to assign his next mission. His thoughts were interrupted by a tall, dark haired man.

"Good morning, Soldier," Rumlow greeted as he entered the vault. He stood in front of the Asset with a grin on his face. "Today is a big day. You have two missions. First, Pierce's daughter has gone rogue and teamed up with Rogers, who is a fugitive. We need you to make sure Project Insight goes as planned. You will need to kill Rogers," Rumlow handed the Asset a folder. The Asset opened the folder to find two pictures of a man and a woman. He gazed his eyes back at Rumlow and let him continue. "Then, you will kill her," Rumlow pointed at Allie's picture. "Failure is not an option. Do not let either of them compromise you or your mission. Copy that?"

The Asset gave him a short nod before he stood from his seat.

* * *

Allie spent the whole night going through her things as quietly as possible. She would occasionally bump into things as she maneuvered around her bedroom in the dark. You see, after Rumlow left Allie alone, she took her chance to run away. However, as she opened the front door, a few S.T.R.I.K.E agents stood in front of the house, armed. They warned and threatened her to stay inside before they slammed the door in her face.

So, she came up with a plan. She wasn't one hundred percent sure if Fury would come back for her. The future was fuzzy which meant he considered the thought, but he hadn't decided yet. Even still, she wanted to be prepared. When the morning came, Allie made herself a pot of coffee and dressed herself in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a pair of black hiking boots and a leather jacket. She pulled her hair back in a french braid, to prevent the inconvenience if things went south.

Allie poured cup after cup of coffee until the pot was finished and made herself some breakfast. If she was going to run away, she needed to make sure she ate as much as she could, since she wasn't exactly sure when her next meal would be.

To kill time, she turned on the television in the living room. She put on the morning news for background noise and ate her breakfast with the gun she stole from Rumlow, in hand.

* * *

 **10:18 AM**

Meanwhile, Captain America had already compromised two of three helecarriers that were to shoot at civilians. He stood in his classic uniform as he stared down his childhood friend on the balcony inside the third helecarrier. He hoped that Bucky would remember him and their friendship if he presented himself in the same suit they fought together in. But the Asset looked annoyed by the Captain.

"People are gonna die, Buck. I can't let that happen," Steve announced.

The Asset looked at him coldly.

"Don't make me do this," he begged.

When he realized his friend wasn't going to back down, Steve reached over his shoulder to grab his shield that rested behind his back. He threw it at the Asset, who effortlessly blocked it with his metal arm and they began to fight.

* * *

" _ **Breaking news: Captain America and a man who appearss to be wearing some sort of jet-pack**_ -" the news reporter announced as rolled her eyes. "- _ **identified as Sam Wilson are fugitives worldwide. Citizens watch in horror at the sight above their heads to see massive air-crafts, hovering above Washington, D.C. Sources tell us that said air-crafts are actually called Helecarriers, which were manufactured by S.H.I.E.L.D**_ -"

Allie advanced closer to the screen when she noticed two figures on one the helecarriers. Her heart dropped and she knew, somehow, that her Soldier was one of the silhouettes. Her eyes widened as she clenched her hands on the hem of her shirt.

* * *

Steve managed to bypass the Asset during their fight and reached Triskelion (the targeting blade system) that his friend prevented him from getting to. Steve took one if the chips from the system while the Asset stood from where he stumbled and attacked Steve before he had the chance to replace the chip with another. The Asset attacked Steve which caused him to lose grip of the chip he needed and watched it fall.

* * *

Allie watched the footage from the news with anticipation as the reporter announced that Captain America was fighting with an unidentified male.

"Please don't kill each other," she quietly begged to herself.

* * *

"Drop it!" Steve warned as he wrapped his arm around the Asset's normal one from behind. The Asset grip grew tighter onto the chip as he swung his other fist at Steve. "I said, drop it!" Steve shouted, unfazed by the blows. When he didn't comply, Steve pulled the Asset's arm from his socket. As Steve realized he wasn't going to let go, he wrapped his other arm around the Asset's throat and constricted it as long as he could. When his body went limp, Steve rushed back to the Triskelion.

On his way up, he felt something penetrate through his left leg. As the pain grew, Steve stumbled collapsed to the floor. He picked himself up and turned around to find the Asset back on his feet and a gun aimed at him. Steve bolted back to his feet to complete his mission as the Asset continued to fire his weapon. Disappointed he missed, the Asset rushed his way up to the Triskelion as Steve reached his destination.

"Thirty seconds, Cap," Agent Hill's voice spoke through his earpiece.

"Stand by," he managed to mutter as he seethed from the pain. As he took out the compromised chip and place it into the targeting system, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen followed by the sound of a gunshot. He fell to the floor from shock and pain, but willed himself back up with the strength he had left to place the chip in the system's computer. Satisfied by his success, Steve let out a sigh of relief. "Charlie locked," he confirmed to Agent Hill.

"Okay, Cap, get outta there," Hill urged the Captain.

Steve collapsed against a post from exhaustion. "Fire now," he ordered.

"But, Steve-" Hill tried to argue.

"Do it! Do it now!"

* * *

Allie watched all three helecarriers aim their weapons at one another and fire. She felt relieved and worried at the same time. Millions of people were saved, but what about her Soldier? Would he survive? All she could do was wait. It was up to Steve at that point.

* * *

Steve watched a large chunk of the air-craft's frame land on the Asset's torso. As he watched him struggle to get it off of him, for a moment, Steve considered leaving him. But, right as the thought popped into his head, his friend looked at him in helplessness. He then made the right decision. He needed to get his friend back, even if it killed him. He lost him once, he couldn't bare the thought of losing him again. He clumsily made his way down to the bottom of the air-craft and stumbled to his knees as he managed to pull the frame off of the Asset.

The Asset was confused by the Captain's actions, but maneuvered himself from underneath the heavy object. As they stood themselves up, Steve spoke out, "You know me."

 _"-Your life before now, no longer exists," a male's voice said in the Asset's head._

"No I don't!" he exclaimed as he lashed out his metal arm and punched Steve in the chest.

"Bucky," Steve said calmly as he straightened himself up. "You've known me you're whole life."

 _"Bucky, no!" the Captain's voice echoed._

 _"Don't let either of them compromise you or your mission," Rumlow's voice said._

Frustrated by Steve's persistence, the Asset backhanded him.

"You're name... is... James Buchanan Barnes," Steve tried to remind him.

 _"What's your name?" a little girl asked._

 _"James! Get up, you'll be late for school!" a woman yelled._

"Shut up!" he screamed not only to Steve, but to the other voices in his head. He lunged at Steve again punched him.

Steve stood up one more time as he ripped off his mask. He faced the Asset and stumbled before he caught his footing. "I'm not gonna fight ya," fatigued, he sighed as he dropped his shield and let it fall out of the air-craft. "You're my friend."

 _"Don't let either of them compromise you or your mission."_

 _"Your life's mission is to protect H.Y.D.R.A's causes. Your life before now, no longer exists."_

He needed to complete his mission. Captain America is his first one. He curled his metal fingers into a tight ball and hit Steve on the jaw which caused him to fall backward. They both landed on the glass dome with Steve on his back and the Asset on top of him.

"You're my mission," he told Steve before he began to pound him in the face, repeatedly. Then, there was something that caused him to slow his blows and as he lifted his arm, he hesitated. He peered down at the Captain's face in horror. 'I've seen this before,' the Asset realized. 'So many times. But, the bruises were never by me. No-'

"Then finish it," His thoughts were interrupted by Steve's voice. His real voice. Not the one in his head. "Cause I'm with ya 'till the end of the line."

 _Suddenly, he remembered Steve Rogers. but, he was different. Skinny and sickly. He remembered standing in front of a door as he patted the blond male on the back._

 _"I'm with ya 'till the end of the line, pal," he told Steve._

He held his fist in the air, conflicted and torn. He felt this feeling before...

Suddenly, the glass beneath them, broke. As of result, Steve's limp body fell and landed in the river. The Soldier held on to a post for dear life. He knew Steve, but how was the question. He jumped into the water after Steve as he watched him sink to the bottom. He took his metal arm and grabbed one of the straps on his uniform before he swam up to the surface. When he got to the shore, he laid Steve's unconscious body and checked his pulse. He was relieved that he was still alive, but felt disappointed that he wasn't alert enough to answer his many questions. He realized he could do nothing more for the Captain and walked away.


	33. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER 32**

She felt empty and numb. There was nothing left of her. Her Soldier's future was unclear, which caused her to come up with one conclusion. He was dead. Her eyes welled up in tears at the very thought. She hadn't moved from the couch in what seemed like an hour. She stared at the black television screen and wore a blank expression on her face. There was nothing for her to live for anymore. So many times he had been taken away from her, but he always came back. This time, she couldn't see his future and therefore, assumed his death.

She was in such a state of shock, she didn't even flinch from the sound of gunshots and yells from the outside of her house. Since she had fallen into a depression, her death didn't seem that bad. Allie waited patiently for the end when she heard the front door slowly open and a few footsteps followed.

Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Agent Hill cautiously entered Pierce's home with guns ready to fire and discovered Allie sitting alone on the couch. Agent Hill and Natasha gave each other a look.

"Allie?" Fury spoke out as he gingerly rested his hand on her shoulder from behind the couch. When she didn't respond, he became concerned and walked around the couch to face her. "Hey, you okay?" Has he cupped her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. They were always so vibrant, impossible to miss, but when he looked into her eyes that moment, he noticed how dull and tired they looked. "Allie!" He exclaimed through creased eyebrows and shook her once by the shoulders.

She finally looked at him in a daze. It took her a few seconds to realize this was real and she was not dead, nor was this a vision or an illusion. She sighed in relief as her eyes began to water again. She leaped into his arms and gave him a tight squeeze as he hugged her back. "The future was so fuzzy, I wasn't sure if you'd come."

* * *

"My father?" She asked with curiosity. She hadn't seen him since the night he brainwashed her Soldier for the last time.

"KIA," Fury answered shortly.

Allie nodded slowly. She felt the need to be sad and yet... she wasn't. "And Cap? Did he make out?"

"Rogers is in the hospital as we speak, but he hasn't woken up yet. We have a speculation that the Winter Soldier is still alive. We don't know his whereabouts-" Fury was cut off by Allie.

"And you were hoping I would help you locate him."

Fury leaned back in his chair at the dining room table as he let out a sigh. "I don't know what he is to you, but I know you've been protecting him."

She gawked at Fury, "He's just- He was a bodyguard. You read the files, he was brainwashed and forced to be an Asset to HYDRA."

"I know," he was losing his patience. "Which is why I need to find him before someone else does. You know what your father made him do for the past twenty-four years. Imagine what would happen if someone else got a hold of him, someone worse?"

She hadn't thought of it, to be frank. She had been selfish and so focused on her own needs, she didn't think about him at all. She glanced up at Fury, "I tried looking for him. I really did, but... I see nothing. I just assumed he was dead."

Fury looked back at her in deep thought as he rubbed his chin, "Or maybe he's just taking a long ass nap?"

Allie chortled from his light joke and looked down at her hands on her lap.

"I don't mean to change the subject, but you don't look surprised to see me."

"I had a vision last night. You were talking about how my father deceived not only you, but the world."

He looked at her with interest, "What time last night?"

She closed her eyes to revert back to her memory. She remembered looking at Rumlow's watch before the vision came. "9:17, exactly," she replied as she reopened her eyes.

He was shocked. "Allie, you saw the present."

She tried to absorb what Fury just told her. "I what?"

He grinned at her, "I think I finally get it, now. Damn, I'm good."

Allie shifted her eyes, "Nick, you need to explain a little bit more. I can't read minds."

"Actually, you might," he responded.

"I think you're-" she began.

"You say your 'visions' are based from decisions and that gives you the future. I think there's more to it than that. You see, there are millions of muscles in the brain that control different things. When you were experimented on, you were injected with a serum that was meant to enhance your ability. Because of this, it also enhanced other brain cells. Such as muscle memory, enhanced thought processing, photographic memory. The list continues, but the point is: the serum may have given you other psychic abilities that you might not even know about..."

Her eyes widened about Fury, "You must've had a lot of time while playing dead."

"Al," Fury warned to stay on topic.

"Sorry, this is just," she sighed as she ran her fingers through her unwashed, tangled hair. "This is all a bit much for me right now. I think I need some time alone. I just have a lot on my mind and I'm struggling to stay focused."

He nodded his head and stood from his chair. "Well, if you feel that's what you need to do, then I'll leave." He turned his head to look out from the kitchen window. He watched Natasha and Maria laugh together from outside. He smiled softly to himself. "You know what sounds really good right now? A Charleston Chew."

"I don't understand."

He turned back to Allie and clasped his hands behind his back. "I know you haven't opened the box, yet."

"What box?"

"The one that Coulson gave you on your thirteenth birthday party," he answered.

She squinted her eyes at him, "How could you possibly know that?"

"If you did, you wouldn't spend your time at an empty grave."

* * *

After Fury left, Natasha stayed with Allie as SHIELD agents confiscated computers, files, and weapons that were owned by Alexander Pierce.

"You gonna be okay?" Natasha asked the young woman.

"I'll be fine," she didn't sound convincing.

"You know, you can join the Avengers," Natasha shrugged. "It'll be fun."

"I'm not sure if that's really my thing."

"Then, what's your 'thing'?"

She tried to think about the answer, but her mind was distracted. She couldn't stop thinking about her Soldier. Suddenly, she had a vision.

Natasha watched Allie's eyes roll to the back of her head. "Allie?" She gave the girl a strange look once she saw a pair of amber eyes stared back at her.

"Sorry, what?" She saw her Soldier, but there was no way she was going to tell Natasha that.

"Did you - Is that what it looks like when you have a vision?" she asked, concerned.

"Oh, that. Yeah, that's why I always close my eyes. Plus, it helps to stay focused.

"What did you see?"

"Oh - uh - Yeah, Rogers wakes up," she lied.

Natasha looked at her for a long time before she decided to believe the girl. "That's really good news," she gave Allie half a smile. "Just think about what I said. You would be a great asset to the team."

'Asset,' she thought to herself. 'Irony.'

There was something she needed to do. Her fate was not with the Avengers, at least not yet.

* * *

 **MARCH 4, 2014 2:27 PM**

The Smithsonian was more crowded that usual. She wondered if it was because of the events that occurred in the past seventy-two hours. But, still, she searched the crowd as she leaned against a wall. It had been a day since she snuck off to find the one thing that made her feel... human. She spent the whole afternoon on the previous day, watching out for him. But, he never came. When the day grew dark, she decided to stay at a park nearby. She kept her face and hair covered to prevent anyone from recognizing her. Now, she spent the whole morning, waiting.

Just when she almost gave up, he walked up to the very spot she saw him in her vision. He stood a few feet away from her as he stared at a panel. As she advanced toward him, she realized what it what that caught his attention. She gaped at the memorial panel when she saw the pic of him on it. Underneath his picture, bold lettering read:

 **BUCKY BARNES**

Just as he turned around, Allie stepped forward to get a closer look but collided with him. Before she stumbled backwards, he caught her elbow with his hand. When he caught eye contact with a familiar pair of amber eyes, memories flowed through his head. And for a moment, they both felt as though time had stopped and everything around them no longer existed.

 **AN: Okay, so there it is... My first fanfic (one-shot doesn't count) I have ever written and it's now completed. I have a sequel coming out soon, it'll be called Dawn Before Light. It will take place before and during Civil War. Please let me know what you think. I know I need to fix some grammatical errors, which will be fixed... I promise.. Thank you all for your reviews and follow/favorite this story. I really hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


	34. Author's Note

Helli everyone! I am so sorry it took me so long to do as requested. The website is having an issue with reviews... new ones are not showing up, however, i can still see them through my email.

I really want to thank all of you for being so nice and supportive. Im really glad you love the ending! Dawn Before Light has been posted. Everything will be revealed in the sequel. More Bucky and Allie monents, drama, sex, and violence. Enjoy!


End file.
